Chapter 10: I Call the Shots in Hong Kong

Based on a standard 5% interest rate, if he only took out the loan for one year, he would need to repay 52.5 million HKD once the year was up.

Adding the 500,000 HKD "tea money," it meant that on top of the principal, he would have to pay an extra 3 million HKD.

This was not a small sum.

The original Huafeng Cement Factory only had an annual net profit of around 2 million HKD.

But Lin Haoran didn't care.

It was only a few million HKD. If he could successfully profit from Wharf, it wouldn't just be a few percentage points of profit, but a return of more than double his principal.

When he arrived, Lin Haoran knew that this negotiation would not be smooth.

So, he had prepared thoroughly.

Lin Haoran believed that with the conditions he had proposed, Yang Changdao would definitely agree.

"Haoran, give me some time to think this over carefully."

As Yang Changdao spoke, he slowly pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit it in the office. Amidst the swirling smoke, he fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Lin Haoran felt a sense of certainty; he understood that Yang Changdao’s resolve had already been shaken.

"Uncle Yang, please take your time. I fully understand and am willing to wait," Lin Haoran replied with a nod.

A long time passed. The cigarette in Yang Changdao’s hand had burned down to the filter, yet he remained lost in his thoughts, his brows tightly furrowed, completely unaware.

It wasn't until a searing pain hit his fingertips that he snapped back to reality, hurriedly stubbing out the cigarette butt.

Yang Changdao took a deep breath, as if he had made a major decision. He looked directly at Lin Haoran and said seriously, "I only want the 500,000 HKD in cash. As for the 50 million HKD loan you mentioned, the term can only be one year, and the annual interest rate must be set at 5%. We both know there are significant risks hidden behind this, so we cannot offer any discounts on the interest."

"That’s perfectly fine. Once the deal is closed, I can hand over the 500,000 HKD in tea money to you privately. It will absolutely not cause you any trouble, Uncle Yang!" A smile finally appeared on Lin Haoran's face.

Greed is indeed one of the human weaknesses that many find difficult to completely discard, and clearly, this Mr. Yang was no exception.

His goal had been achieved.

A one-year term meant nothing to him.

What he lacked right now was startup capital.

A year from now, he would have more capital to maneuver with, and perhaps he would already be the heir to the Wanan Group.

By then, if he wanted to take out another loan, let alone Yumin Finance, plenty of banks and enterprises would be fighting to lend to him.

Right now, he was still an unknown young man, living in the business world only under the influence of his father, Lin Wanan.

He intended to use this year to gradually establish his own influence in the business world and grow rapidly.

In the Hong Kong of the 70s and 80s, opportunities were everywhere.

In the fiercely competitive business environment of Hong Kong, being unknown truly made it difficult to achieve anything great.

Just as this loan experience showed, if not for the deep influence of his father, Lin Wanan, in the industry, combined with his own relentless efforts and persuasion, successfully obtaining a 50 million loan would have been nearly impossible.

"By the way, I actually have one more personal favor to ask of you, Uncle Yang. Regarding my personal loan, I hope you won't disclose it to my father—at least not within this year. As for after a year, whether you tell him or not doesn't matter," Lin Haoran requested sincerely after a moment of thought.

"Why?"

From their previous conversation, he had already deeply felt Lin Haoran’s extraordinary nature and understood that this young man had grand ambitions and exceptional ability. It was highly likely he would achieve something remarkable in the future, so he was willing to listen to Lin Haoran’s explanation.

Lin Haoran took a deep breath and said slowly, "Uncle Yang, I know my father has high expectations for me. He doesn't want me to grow up under his protection; he wants me to stand on my own two feet and prove myself with my own strength.

This loan is for me to raise capital to acquire a listed company I’ve had my eye on for a long time. I hope to accomplish this through my own efforts, to prove it to my father, and to prove it to myself.

So, I have my own development plan. I will definitely repay the funds to your company after one year. I hope you can help me keep this secret and give me a chance to prove myself."

In reality, the reason Lin Haoran didn't want Lin Wanan to know was that he understood that once Lin Wanan found out, he wouldn't be able to get this loan at all.

To be satisfied with relying solely on the development of the Huafeng Cement Factory? That was definitely not Lin Haoran’s style.

Relying only on that cement factory, even if he didn't win the succession to the Wanan Group, he could already live a very comfortable life.

But such comfort was not what he pursued. Lin Haoran craved higher peaks and a broader horizon; he had the ambition to refuse mediocrity.

"Fine, I agree," Yang Changdao said dismissively.

It didn't affect him at all, and helping to keep it a secret cost him nothing.

"By the way, Uncle Yang, how long will it take for the funds to be released?" Lin Haoran asked.

"About a week. After I submit the materials for review, there will be an investigation from above. A week should be enough," Yang Changdao replied.

"Can you ensure this loan will be approved, Uncle Yang?" Although Yang Changdao had already agreed, Lin Haoran was still a bit worried.

Time waited for no one; he needed to obtain these funds as soon as possible.

"Don't worry. The investigation team here in Hong Kong is made up of my people; basically, I have the final say. I’ll go draft the contract now, and we can sign it in a bit." Since he had already agreed to the deal, Yang Changdao would naturally ensure everything went smoothly.

The subsequent process became much smoother.

Lin Haoran submitted all the required documents to Yang Changdao, and with both parties formally signing the contract, he only needed to wait patiently for the funds to arrive.

"Uncle Yang, let's stop here for today. I'll go back and wait for your good news. I have the 500,000 in cash ready at any time!" Before leaving, Lin Haoran shook hands with Yang Changdao.

"Good, I'll notify you as soon as there's a result," Yang Changdao nodded.

He had work to do as well; having taken on this big deal, he had many preparations to make.

Walking out of the office, Lin Haoran let out a long sigh of relief. He was very satisfied with the result.

In the lounge outside, the brothers Li Weiguo and Li Weidong appeared quite reserved. They sat on the sofa uncomfortably, their eyes occasionally drifting to the coffee table, which seemed to be their only focus at the moment.

The unfamiliar environment made both of them extra cautious, not daring to make any sudden moves for fear of breaking the delicate balance brought by this quiet and uncertainty.

Seeing Lin Haoran come out, the two finally relaxed and immediately stood up.