Chapter 7: What Can You Do with Just Ten Million?

When Li Weiguo and Li Weidong had originally crossed the border illegally, they hadn’t brought anything with them, so naturally, they didn’t need to pack any luggage now. At this moment, they were still dressed in their factory uniforms from Huafeng Cement Factory.

Returning to the office building’s room, Lin Haoran told Li Weiguo and Li Weidong to wait outside while he went in to gather his things. In truth, there wasn’t much to pack since he hadn’t brought much with him to begin with. After stuffing several sets of clothes into his suitcase, Lin Haoran took with him the business registration certificate of Huafeng Cement Factory as well as the land certificate for the plot where the factory was located.

Huafeng Cement Factory had been established for more than a decade. Back then, land in Yuen Long was not valuable. When Lin Wan’an built the factory, he also purchased over thirty thousand square meters of surrounding land at a low price. Today, that very plot alone was worth more than seven million Hong Kong dollars.

Lin Haoran had already devised a way to secure startup capital: he would use Huafeng Cement Factory as collateral for a loan. He had no intention of selling the factory, especially since it was tied to his rivalry with his elder brother, Lin Haoning. However, this did not prevent him from leveraging it to quickly raise the necessary funds to support his next moves.

Having finished packing, Lin Haoran stepped out the door. Li Weiguo instinctively helped carry the luggage. Lin Haoran’s car was a Mercedes-Benz W116 series sedan—a fitting vehicle for a scion of a wealthy family. After integrating memories from two lifetimes, he had come to understand this era of Hong Kong deeply.

To get from Huafeng Cement Factory to Kowloon’s urban area, one had to head south through Tuen Mun, then take Tuen Mun Road all the way to Kowloon. As the boss, Lin Yi used to drive, with Lin Haoran sitting in the back. But since Li Weiguo and Li Weidong couldn’t drive, this time Lin Haoran would have to drive himself back to the city.

The road network in this era was not as complicated as in later times. Especially in the outskirts of Yuen Long, there was only one main road, and all intersections had clear signposts, so Lin Haoran was confident he wouldn’t get lost.

Once the luggage was stowed, the two brothers were filled with excitement and curiosity.

“Master, we’ve never ridden in a private car before. Back on the mainland, we only took buses and trucks. These seats are so comfortable,” Li Weidong said, glancing around and unable to hide his amazement.

“Fasten your seatbelts. Master will take you to see the world,” Lin Haoran said.

“What’s this seatbelt?” Li Weidong asked.

“It’s the strap beside your seat. It keeps passengers safe,” Lin Haoran explained.

Even though he carried memories from two lifetimes, Lin Haoran was still fascinated by driving such a classic car.

The radio in the cabin played popular Cantonese songs of the day. Along the way, they encountered border patrol checks, but once Lin Haoran showed his identification, they were allowed to pass without issue.

After more than two hours, the car finally entered the outskirts of Tsuen Wan, where houses became denser. Tsuen Wan had developed quite well in this era, especially after the Kwai Chung Container Terminal was built, making it a hotspot for Hong Kong investors.

“There are so many tall buildings over there.”

“So bustling.”

“That woman is scandalous, dressed so revealingly, half her upper body exposed.”

“Brother Weiguo, I see one too! Look over here—I’m drooling,” Li Weidong whispered, eyes wide with excitement.

Upon arriving in Tsuen Wan, the brothers couldn’t stop chattering, filled with awe and curiosity at the vibrant streets.

“This is still considered the suburbs,” Lin Haoran remarked with a smile.

Because Tsuen Wan had many logistics warehouses and docks, there were numerous large trucks, causing traffic congestion and slow driving speeds.

“It’s still the suburbs here, so how prosperous must the city be?” Li Weiguo marveled.

Seeing the traffic jam ahead, Lin Haoran took the next exit off the main road. It was already one o’clock in the afternoon, time to find something to eat.

After dining at a casual restaurant, Lin Haoran restarted the car and set off again. He first entered Kowloon City District and took Li Weidong and Li Weiguo to the Immigration Department’s office, where they completed their paperwork and successfully obtained Hong Kong identity cards.

Since Li Weiguo had easily defeated Lin Yi, Lin Haoran had come to value them more and more.

“From today on, you officially become part of Hong Kong. You no longer need to worry about anyone hunting down your past,” Lin Haoran said with a smile outside the office.

“Thank you, boss,” the two replied, ecstatic.

Nearby, they bought three suits each from a tailor and had them put on one set immediately. Then, they went to a nearby barbershop to get crew-cut hairstyles.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man. After donning suits and ties and sporting new haircuts, the brothers’ entire demeanor transformed. Adding sunglasses gave them the aura of gang bosses.

As Lin Haoran’s bodyguards, they couldn’t keep wearing factory uniforms—that would only invite ridicule. In the business world, appearances mattered greatly.

At this moment, Lin Haoran noticed their loyalty had risen once more.

Li Weiguo: Loyalty 87/100

Li Weidong: Loyalty 90/100

Li Weiguo’s loyalty jumped by three points. Especially Li Weidong’s, which, although only increasing by one point this time, had now surpassed ninety. Such a high level of loyalty meant Lin Haoran no longer needed to worry about betrayal.

Having fulfilled the brothers’ wishes, Lin Haoran wasted no time and headed straight to the Jinzhong Building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.

As the youngest son of the chairman of the Wan’an Group, obtaining a loan was very easy in Hong Kong. However, he was not simply looking for a loan of one or two tens of millions.

Mainstream banks like Hui Feng Bank, Standard Chartered, and Hang Seng Bank would not lend him too much to reduce their risk. Even with Huafeng Cement Factory as collateral, the maximum loan amount would be around ten to twenty million Hong Kong dollars.

But Lin Haoran was not satisfied. What could he do with so little?

The elevator stopped on the 17th floor of the Jinzhong Building, where Lin Haoran and his two men stood outside the glass door of an office. To the left of the door hung a plaque inscribed: Hong Kong Malai Yumin Finance Company.

This was Lin Haoran’s target today.

Currently, the Hong Kong government was actively planning to develop the city into an international financial center. In March of this year, it relaxed restrictions on banking licenses. Over the past few months, the government had issued more than twenty new banking licenses in one go.

With the sudden surge in banks and other financial institutions, competition in the banking sector had intensified greatly.

In Lin Haoran’s past life’s words, Hong Kong’s banking industry was now fiercely competitive, to the point that some financial institutions, despite holding vast cash reserves, struggled to effectively deploy loans.

This was the landscape Lin Haoran was about to navigate.