Chapter 392 Do You Want to Move to a New Office Building?
After leaving Connaught Centre, Lin Haoran, accompanied by his bodyguards, headed to Cheong Yip Building in Wan Chai, the headquarters of Oriental Press Group. Upon arriving at the seventh-floor office of Cheong Yip Building, he coincidentally met Cui Zilong who had just returned from outside.
"Boss, you were looking for me?" Cui Zilong asked curiously as they sat down together.
Lin Haoran nodded. "Yes, you came at the right time. I have some tasks for you."
"Please instruct me, boss."
"First, I need you to quickly gather a detailed report on local Hong Kong brand banks. I need extremely comprehensive information, including but not limited to market reputation, asset quality, profitability, risk control, shareholder situations, shareholding ratios, debts, and so on. Second, I want you to help spread a rumor: that I, Lin Haoran, incurred massive debts in order to acquire Land Holdings Group, including a 2 billion loan from HSBC and another 3 billion from Citibank, with other unknown debts as well. At the same time, it should be said that Land Holdings Group, being a real estate company, also owes a substantial amount and is facing financial strain with some debts maturing soon, forcing me to consider selling some property projects to alleviate the pressure. I want this rumor to be known all over Hong Kong, but no one should suspect that it came from you. I think this shouldn't be too difficult for you?" Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Upon hearing Lin Haoran's instructions, Cui Zilong was extremely surprised. Gathering data on local banks was manageable, but spreading a rumor that would harm his own boss's reputation puzzled him. After all, social elites usually valued their reputation highly.
Cui Zilong hesitated a little but eventually voiced his concern: "Boss, I understand your intention might be for strategic purposes, but hasn't Land Holdings Group already been privatized? In other words, even with such rumors, it won't affect the stock price anymore. Would such rumors have limited impact on a group no longer publicly traded?"
Cui Zilong couldn't comprehend how tarnishing Lin Haoran's reputation could be beneficial. Wouldn't this only lead all of Hong Kong to believe that Lin Haoran was mired in severe financial trouble? If the rumor spread, it could have enormous repercussions. Many might think that Lin Haoran forcibly acquired Land Holdings Group without the financial capacity, leading to a tight cash flow. This kind of public opinion would undoubtedly damage his business reputation and could even hinder future collaborations and developments. For instance, banks might assess the risk and eventually refuse to issue him loans.
"Just go ahead and do it boldly. I have my own plans, no need for you to worry!" Lin Haoran said. He knew Cui Zilong's concerns stemmed from loyalty, but he didn't explain further.
At present, Lin Haoran had absolutely no financial pressure—none at all. In fact, once the full privatization of Land Holdings Group succeeded, he would have an even larger pool of funds at his disposal. But no one else knew this. Moreover, anyone who investigated would easily find that Lin Haoran did indeed owe terrifyingly large sums. If he didn't disclose his loans from HSBC and Citibank, under normal circumstances, no one would know.
Just like Chen Songqing from Jianning Group, who relied entirely on bank loans but was still perceived as backed by a powerful financial consortium. Loan agreements carried confidentiality clauses; banks and finance companies would not leak such information during normal repayment periods.
But now, with Lin Haoran subtly leaking the information, investigations would become much easier. Lin Haoran had indeed borrowed 2 billion from HSBC and another 3 billion from Citibank. To the public, there must be even more hidden loans they couldn't trace, which was entirely plausible.
"Alright, I'll do as you say, boss. Rest assured, I'll spread the news through black market channels. No one will know that it was you or me who initiated it," Cui Zilong said solemnly.
"Good, that's reassuring. Please complete both tasks as soon as possible. Oh, to lighten your load, you don't need to investigate HSBC or Hang Seng Bank. Around the tenth, I'll be heading to the United States. I hope you can finish both assignments before then," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
The reason Lin Haoran wanted the bank research completed before his U.S. trip was so his team could start laying groundwork with selected banks while he was away.
"Understood, boss. Please have a seat, I'll arrange for the bank data collection right away. As for spreading the rumor, that won't take long. It's not difficult for me. I guarantee that within two days, the whole of Hong Kong will know about it!" After speaking, Cui Zilong went to his desk and started making phone calls, clearly instructing his team to begin the investigations.
Back when the Ma family controlled Oriental Press Group, Cui Zilong was already responsible for intelligence tasks. Thus, he naturally had various channels, including black-market ones, and could maintain anonymity. Spreading rumors was indeed not difficult for him.
Lin Haoran sat quietly in a corner of the office, sipping tea while waiting. About ten minutes later, Cui Zilong finally finished his calls.
"Boss, I've already instructed the relevant parties to start the investigation. However, since you require extremely detailed information, it will take some time to gather. I'll try my best to complete it before your departure," Cui Zilong said as he returned to sit beside Lin Haoran.
"Good, I believe you can do it. By the way, General Manager Cui, would you like to move to a new office building? Maybe relocate the company to Central?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.
Lin Haoran now had no shortage of properties, especially after acquiring Land Holdings Group, which owned multiple commercial buildings located at prime spots across Hong Kong.
Although Cheong Yip Building's location wasn't bad and Oriental Press Group didn't require much office space, Lin Haoran found the surrounding streets too narrow and chaotic. The tall buildings made the streets appear dim even in broad daylight. This messy environment was why Lin Haoran rarely visited Cheong Yip Building.
Upon hearing Lin Haoran's suggestion, Cui Zilong was momentarily stunned but quickly shook his head with a smile. "Boss, thank you for your kindness. However, I think Cheong Yip Building is quite good. The transportation is convenient, and our staff are already accustomed to the environment. Besides, moving to Central would significantly increase our costs. Right now, our operations are stable and self-sufficient without placing any burden on you. There's no need to add unnecessary expenses.
I know Oriental Press Group cannot compare to your other large listed companies in terms of profitability. But for me, as long as the company can develop steadily without causing you any trouble, that's already very good. After all, Oriental Daily News holds an important place in Hong Kong's media scene, providing you with public opinion support and intelligence gathering. That's part of our value."
Although Oriental Press Group was a wholly-owned private enterprise of Lin Haoran, it maintained independent finances. Among all the renowned companies under Lin Haoran's name in Hong Kong, Oriental Press Group might not have the strongest profitability, but the value of Oriental Daily News in Lin Haoran's eyes was irreplaceable.
As the highest-selling newspaper in Hong Kong's media industry, Oriental Daily News not only provided powerful public opinion support but also served as a crucial window for Lin Haoran to obtain intelligence and keep track of market trends. Whenever he needed to assess a new sector or investment risk, Oriental Daily News always provided timely and accurate information.
Moreover, the company's subsidiary, Universal Security Consultancy, had become a solid defensive line within Lin Haoran's commercial empire. This company was responsible for safeguarding all enterprises under Lin Haoran's umbrella, offering comprehensive security services for daily operations and major events.
Thus, even though Oriental Press Group was not a major profit generator, Lin Haoran always regarded it as an extremely important part of his holdings. He understood very well that an influential newspaper and a professional security team held far greater value than short-term financial gains.
If Cui Zilong had been willing to relocate, Lin Haoran would have easily arranged a spacious office for Oriental Press Group at Connaught Centre or another building in Central. Connaught Centre alone, with its 51 floors, offered ample space for Land Holdings Group's needs. Moreover, the group owned numerous commercial buildings in Central, like Alexandra House, Prince's Building, and Gloucester Tower, most of which had many vacant floors available for leasing or self-use.
Lin Haoran nodded. Since Cui Zilong preferred not to move, he wouldn't insist. After all, it was Cui Zilong who managed Oriental Press Group, not him.
At present, the company's operations were indeed running very smoothly. Lin Haoran had previously reviewed the financial reports carefully and found that Oriental Daily News was consistently generating a stable monthly profit of two to three million Hong Kong dollars.
As for Universal Security Consultancy, although it was currently just breaking even without significant additional expenditures, the financial strength of Oriental Press Group was enough to sustain it.
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