Chapter 393 "Deep Financial Crisis" Spreads Across Hong Kong
Lin Haoran also believed that with the gradual expansion and improvement of the bodyguard business, achieving self-sufficiency would not be a problem at all. He was very satisfied with the current operating status. Originally, he thought he would need to inject capital into the company for a long time, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.
After a brief exchange with Cui Zilong in the office, Lin Haoran said goodbye and left. Cui Zilong immediately began preparing to spread the rumor through black market channels. The timing was still early, and if the rumors were spread now, the media would be the first to pick them up. If everything went as expected, tomorrow's newspapers would be filled with reports about it.
Hong Kong was not large, and spreading a rumor across the whole city in a short time was not difficult. Once the rumors circulated, even if Land Holdings Group sold dozens of real estate projects, it wouldn't cause a major shock to Hong Kong's property market. More importantly, it would help Land Holdings Group successfully sell off those projects that Lin Haoran was less optimistic about, allowing him to quickly recover funds and completely rid himself of debt burdens.
He did not want Land Holdings Group's situation to trigger an early real estate crisis in Hong Kong.
In the blink of an eye, a day had passed.
The next morning, Lin Haoran woke up from bed. A Siberian cold wave had pushed south again over the past few days, causing Hong Kong's temperatures to drop to six or seven degrees Celsius. With the heater running in the bedroom, Lin Haoran didn't feel cold. After washing up and putting on a few layers of warm clothes, he went downstairs, ready to enjoy breakfast while reading the newspapers.
Lin Haoran sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in the dining room, holding a copy of the Hong Kong Commercial Daily. The headline news was precisely the rumor he had asked Cui Zilong to spread yesterday. The newspaper, using a striking headline and detailed report, described how he had incurred massive debts to acquire Land Holdings Group, listing specific figures of his loans from HSBC and Citibank, citing information obtained from bank staff.
Lin Haoran then flipped open the Oriental Daily, which, with an objective and impartial tone, comprehensively analyzed the rumor, listing various market speculations and reminding readers to remain rational until official information was confirmed. Toward the end of the article, it cleverly touched on the privatization of Land Holdings Group, subtly suggesting that the rumor might impact the group's future direction.
This was clearly Cui Zilong's deliberate arrangement. Everyone knew that Oriental Daily was fully controlled by Lin Haoran, so the reporting style, intended to suppress rumors, only made readers feel it was even more suspicious.
In contrast, Ming Pao was much more aggressive, directly quoting "informed sources" saying that Lin Haoran had taken enormous risks and loans to acquire Land Holdings Group and had now fallen into financial trouble. The article reviewed Lin Haoran's past business decisions, suggesting that in just over two years, he had aggressively acquired many large enterprises, likely leveraging heavily, and searched for signs of his risky strategies from past actions.
The Hong Kong Economic Journal took a different approach, focusing on analyzing the potential impact of the rumors on Hong Kong's real estate market. It pointed out that if the rumors were true and Land Holdings Group had to sell off assets on a large scale, it could significantly impact the market. The paper also interviewed several economists for a multi-angle analysis of Land Holdings Group's privatization and Lin Haoran's personal financial situation.
Putting down the newspaper, Lin Haoran felt very satisfied with how well the rumor had spread. Just one day later, the newspapers had already begun massive reporting exactly as he had hoped.
Under such circumstances, it was certain that by today, everyone in Hong Kong would know about it.
Sure enough, in the streets and alleys, high-rises and offices across Hong Kong, discussions about Lin Haoran's rumored financial troubles were everywhere.
Besides the mainstream newspaper reports, street gossip was even more colorful. Some said that Lin Haoran had secretly met with executives from several banks seeking emergency loans. Others claimed HSBC and Citibank had started risk assessments on Lin Haoran's loans and were preparing countermeasures. Some even fabricated "first-hand information," alleging that Lin Haoran had admitted during a private dinner that he was considering selling personal assets due to tight cash flow.
In no time, rumors of Lin Haoran's financial chain crisis spread like wildfire, making the story of his "deep financial crisis" the hottest topic in the city.
At the Lin family villa on Stubbs Road, Lin Haoran read the newspapers with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He knew that although the reports and street gossip were a mix of truth and fiction, they had already stirred significant waves throughout Hong Kong society.
While enjoying a hearty seafood egg rice roll breakfast, the phone in the study on the first floor suddenly rang.
The phone numbers for the first and third floors were the same, so he could answer from either floor.
It was around eight in the morning. People calling him at this time knew he would still be at home, so it wasn't surprising to receive a call.
Lin Haoran put down his half-eaten breakfast, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and strode into the study.
"Hello, this is Lin Haoran."
"Haoran, have you really run into financial trouble? If you need, I can sell off the properties I own. They've more than doubled in value over the past two years; I should be able to raise tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars. I knew I shouldn't have let you take such aggressive business risks; maybe we could have avoided this situation..." It was Lin Wanan's anxious voice on the other end of the line, speaking rapidly.
Lin Haoran could even hear his mother's worried voice faintly in the background.
Like Lin Haoran, Lin Wanan had a habit of reading the newspaper first thing in the morning. So he had seen all the reports about Lin Haoran's supposed financial troubles and, as a father, was understandably deeply concerned.
Over the past two years, Lin Haoran's aggressive acquisitions had far exceeded what Lin Wanan ever imagined. Now, reading the newspapers, even he began to believe the reports.
Lin Haoran found it both amusing and touching. His father's concern for him was genuine.
Two years ago, after splitting the family assets between Lin Haoran and Lin Haoning, Lin Wanan had kept only a small portion of properties for himself, including the villa in Deep Water Bay and several shops and apartments. Back then, these assets were worth only seven to eight million Hong Kong dollars.
Now, nearly two years later, their value had doubled, meaning Lin Wanan could indeed raise twenty to thirty million Hong Kong dollars if he sold them.
"Don't worry, Dad. Don't believe those rumors. Think about it—even if I had financial difficulties, how much could I owe? Fifty billion? A hundred billion? Just my shares in Land Holdings Group are worth that much, not to mention Hongkong Electric, Man Cheong Group, Towngas, and Kowloon Motor Bus. If I sold these companies, I could easily raise two hundred billion, not just one hundred billion. Relax and enjoy your retirement. You don't need to worry about me!" Lin Haoran said with a bitter smile.
"Are you really okay? You didn't take out loans to acquire Hongkong Electric and Towngas, did you?" Lin Wanan asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry, Dad. You're overthinking. I have no financial problems at all. Please believe me—I always act with careful judgment," Lin Haoran reassured him.
After much persuasion, Lin Wanan finally calmed down.
Just as Lin Haoran hung up, the phone rang again. This time it was Shen Bi calling.
"Mr. Lin, regarding the 2 billion loan from HSBC, I assure you the leak did not come from us. I firmly believe in your financial strength," Shen Bi said immediately.
"Mr. Shen, don't worry. Even though I don't know how the information got out, I'm not pursuing it. Let them say whatever they want. It doesn't harm me," Lin Haoran replied casually.
"Mr. Lin, did you really borrow thirty billion or even more from Citibank?" Shen Bi asked curiously.
The 2 billion loan from HSBC had been secured with shares of Hongkong Electric as collateral, so Shen Bi wasn't too concerned. But even he couldn't help feeling curious.
"Mr. Shen, I'm afraid that's a commercial secret, and I can't disclose it. Please understand," Lin Haoran declined politely.
Even though Shen Bi had a powerful intelligence network, without Lin Haoran voluntarily disclosing the information, it would be impossible to find out about such loans. If they could, Jianning Group's secrets would have been exposed long ago.
Lin Haoran's refusal only made Shen Bi even more convinced that some of the rumors were true.
"Mr. Lin, if that's the case, I hope you can overcome this crisis smoothly. If you ever consider selling a company, I can help find a suitable buyer," Shen Bi said with a laugh.
After hanging up on Shen Bi, Lin Haoran thought the matter would end there, but just as he was about to leave the study, the phone rang again.
This time, it was Li Jiacheng calling.
Li Jiacheng inquired whether Lin Haoran was really facing financial difficulties and offered assistance if needed. But as the conversation progressed, Lin Haoran realized Li Jiacheng's true motive: he had his eyes on Lin Haoran's high-quality companies.
After ending the call with Li Jiacheng, several more calls followed one after another.
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