Chapter 11: If you use a person, do not doubt them; if you doubt a person, do not use them

After leaving the Golden Bell Building with the Li brothers, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong, Lin Haoran had originally planned to head over to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Kowloon to get the latest update on the market.

Although the money hadn't arrived in his account yet, given Yang Changdao’s confident demeanor, the loan was certain to be approved.

Even if the documents he submitted weren't technically sufficient, Yang Changdao would find a way to make it happen for him.

Therefore, understanding the market trends in advance would allow him to make better preparations for the future.

Unexpectedly, just as he got into the car, his pager let out a buzzing vibration; someone was trying to reach him.

With no other choice, he had to get out of the car and head to a nearby public phone booth to return the call.

In this era, pagers relied on analog signals, and their primary function was limited to receiving call notifications from others. Users then had to find a public phone to call back—a process that was indeed cumbersome and inconvenient.

However, despite the complex operation, in an age where mobile phones had yet to be commercialized, the pager was undoubtedly an incredibly avant-garde technological invention, marking the initial leap in instant communication technology.

After returning the call, Lin Haoran finally learned who was looking for him.

It was his father in this world, Lin Wan'an.

It turned out that Lin Yi had told Lin Wan'an that Lin Haoran had left Yuen Long without taking them along, and had even embellished the story of what Lin Haoran had been up to lately. Fearing that his youngest son might get into trouble, Lin Wan'an had called him.

"Daddy, I'll come over to see you. I happen to be in Wan Chai, not far from the company."

Lin Haoran had no choice but to postpone his trip to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The Wan'an Group headquarters was in Causeway Bay, not far from Wan Chai; it was less than a kilometer from the Golden Bell Building to the Wan'an Group building.

After hanging up, Lin Haoran drove straight to the Wan'an Group building.

The Wan'an Group building was a 13-story commercial tower, and the entire building was property of the Wan'an Group.

Although this was the first time Lin Haoran had been here since transmigrating, after merging with his memories, he was very familiar with everything about the place.

The Wan'an Group building had a history of over a dozen years, and Lin Haoran had often come here to play when he was a child.

Parking the car in the open-air lot outside the building, Lin Haoran led Li Weiguo and Li Weidong inside.

"Good afternoon, Director Lin."

"Good afternoon, Director Lin."

"Director Lin looks even more handsome today."

"Director Lin, do you have a girlfriend?"

...

As soon as the many employees saw Lin Haoran, they took the initiative to greet him one after another, with some of the more playful female employees even teasing him.

Lin Haoran responded with a gentle smile and a nod to each of them, displaying humility and approachability.

Li Weiguo and Li Weidong, who were following closely behind him, were truly witnessing something new.

They had never seen such a scene before and felt that their young master was truly imposing.

Although the Wan'an Group was a listed company, it was effectively a family business. The Lin family held over 50% of the shares, and other outside shareholders had no way to interfere in the group's affairs.

After Lin Haoran came of age, he was given the nominal title of Director at the Wan'an Group, making him a member of the board, just like his older brother, Lin Haoning.

This was the reason the employees addressed Lin Haoran as "Director Lin."

Relatively speaking, due to his age advantage, Lin Haoning held much greater prestige within the group than Lin Haoran.

If it were the old Lin Haoran, no matter how hard he tried, he would have been destined to lose.

But the current him was naturally full of confidence in winning this competition.

The elevator stopped at the 12th floor of the Wan'an Group building.

The chairman's office was located here.

"Daddy, I'm here. Let me introduce you—these two are the new bodyguards I hired. Their skills are far superior to Lin Yi and the others." Upon entering the chairman's office, Lin Haoran introduced them to his father.

Lin Wan'an was 63 years old this year, his hair as white as snow. At this age, he wasn't exactly old, but his health had begun to suffer from various ailments in recent years.

For instance, he suffered from memory loss, hearing impairment, and even weakened vascular function, sometimes experiencing a slowed heart rate or a weak pulse.

The results of his hospital check-ups indicated that his heart function was gradually failing and could no longer maintain normal blood circulation.

This was why he felt his health was deteriorating day by day; he might pass away at any moment.

Therefore, he felt a great sense of urgency to select a successor for the group as soon as possible.

He had two sons, but there was only one Wan'an Group; there couldn't be two successors.

Just like in the feudal dynasties of old, there couldn't be two crown princes at the same time.

Lin Wan'an first asked Li Weiguo and Li Weidong to wait outside the door. Then, he gently pulled Lin Haoran aside and said earnestly, "Hao'er, you must be cautious. The origins of these two are unknown; how could you so easily decide to make them your personal bodyguards? Matters of safety are not child's play; you must consider this carefully."

Lin Haoran already knew that Lin Yi and the others must have said something to Lin Wan'an behind his back.

"Daddy, don't worry. After spending these past few days with them, I have gained a deep understanding of their backgrounds and characters. More importantly, I saved them at a critical moment; this debt of gratitude is enough to prove their loyalty.

As the ancients said: 'Do not suspect those you employ; do not employ those you suspect.' I understand this principle. Besides, I have grown up and learned how to weigh the pros and cons and handle matters properly. Please trust me, I will handle this well," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.

Lin Wan'an looked at Lin Haoran in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had not expected his youngest son to answer so confidently and logically; it was a far cry from the Lin Haoran of the past, who always immediately complied with his opinions.

This sudden growth and independence stirred a complex emotion in Lin Wan'an—he felt both immensely gratified and slightly pleasantly surprised.

This youngest son, whom he had always treated as a treasure and protected with such care, had quietly grown up, learned to think independently, and was stepping toward maturity.

"Hao'er, you have finally grown up," Lin Wan'an said with deep emotion, a glimmer of gratification shining in his eyes.

From his memories, Lin Haoran already knew that this father had doted on him since he was a child.

Because of this, he also held deep respect and reverence for Lin Wan'an.

"Daddy, please rest assured. I did not waste my time during those four years of studying abroad. To be honest, regarding the competition with my older brother for the succession, I believe I can win!" Lin Haoran said with a smile, his tone full of confidence.

"Hao'er, I have already heard about the situation with the Huafeng Cement Plant. For now, your top priority is to stabilize the performance of the Huafeng Cement Plant. As for the competition, put it aside for a moment. You can rest easy; even if your brother ends up becoming the successor to the Wan'an Group, I will never let you be wronged.

I will ensure you have a stable share of equity within the group to protect your interests. Furthermore, I will make proper arrangements for assets outside the group, enough for you to live a carefree life and ensure you never have to worry about money for the rest of your days," Lin Wan'an advised earnestly.

It was clear that Lin Wan'an did not believe Lin Haoran could win this competition.

(End of chapter)