In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 767 Finding a Reason to Acquire Land

The establishment of the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee has given Lin Haoran greater peace of mind regarding the development of his companies.

In fact, he also has another wholly owned company that can be included in it, namely the Southern Corporation of the United States that he acquired earlier.

Southern Company now owns two of the world's largest convenience store chains: 711-Eleven and Lawson.

In fact, the number of stores of these two convenience store brands had already exceeded 7 as early as July, and their global influence is growing day by day.

However, both convenience store chains are currently headquartered in Tokyo, and Toshifumi Suzuki, president of the Southern Company, is also based in Tokyo. The purpose of this move is simply to enable the two major convenience store brands to expand their stores in Japan more quickly and obtain more profits.

After all, Japan was the most suitable place in Asia for expanding convenience stores at that time.

Japan has the largest number of 711-Eleven and Lawson convenience stores globally, so relocating their headquarters at this time would not be suitable for their continued expansion in Japan.

As for future plans, he intends to move the headquarters of the Southern Company to Hong Kong.

If Toshifumi Suzuki, president of Southern Company, joins the Galaxy Strategic Development Committee, Lin Haoran's companies will be able to achieve resource sharing and overall coordination more efficiently.

However, allowing the Southern Company to develop completely independently would not have a significant impact; at most, it would just require Chairman Ma Shimin to interact more with Suzuki Toshifumi.

If something can't be handled by Lin Haoran, he'll handle it himself.

No matter what, Southern Company is now his wholly owned company, and he still has the final say.

After a series of events, Lin Haoran finally got to relax again.

On October 3, a powerful typhoon of level 15 grazed Hong Kong.

Nevertheless, it has also caused great losses to some remote areas of Hong Kong.

Guangdong Province also suffered significant losses.

Guo Xiaohan, as the chairperson of the Lin Haoran Charity Foundation, began to get busy, going everywhere to promote her fiancé's reputation.

For example, in a fishing village on Lantau Island, dozens of houses were blown down by a typhoon. Just when the victims were feeling helpless looking at the ruins, Guo Xiaohan appeared at the muddy entrance of the village with staff from the foundation and vehicles full of supplies.

She didn't just make a symbolic appearance; she personally rolled up her sleeves and gave decisive command.

The foundation's staff skillfully set up a temporary relief station and distributed clean drinking water, food, medicine, and blankets to keep warm.

For villagers whose houses collapsed, the foundation immediately provided emergency aid to help them through the crisis and promised to participate in post-disaster reconstruction.

She didn't mention Lin Haoran's name much, but everyone knew that this beautiful and capable Mrs. Lin represented the goodwill of the young tycoon who had risen to fame in recent years and whose businesses spanned the globe.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lin are so kind," said an elderly woman who had been rescued, holding Guo Xiaohan's hand with tears in her eyes.

This statement quickly spread throughout the disaster-stricken area, and with the foundation's tangible assistance, Lin Haoran's reputation quietly rose among the people.

Hong Kong media naturally wouldn't miss such news.

The following day, several mainstream newspapers published photos of Guo Xiaohan working in the disaster area, accompanied by the headline "Business tycoon cares about the disaster area, Lin Haoran Foundation rushes to aid the typhoon relief efforts."

The report detailed the materials and funds donated by the foundation and highly praised its efficient, pragmatic, and humane relief efforts.

Lin Haoran also saw these reports at Shi Xundao's home.

He put down the newspaper, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Guo Xiaohan's actions have indeed earned him an excellent social reputation, which is more effective in winning people's hearts than any advertisement.

Entrusting the management of the charitable foundation to Guo Xiaohan was a move that Lin Haoran was extremely satisfied with. It not only ensured that Guo Xiaohan would not interfere with his career, but also allowed her to make the most of her business acumen.

She not only manages the foundation's daily operations in an orderly manner, but also knows how to transform this kindness into the most powerful boost to the company's image and Lin Haoran's personal reputation.

Their performance during this typhoon is a perfect example of this.

In the future, if Guo Xiaohan wants to go into business, she can certainly use the charitable foundation as an excellent starting point and platform.

This platform not only allows one to accumulate valuable social reputation and network resources, but also enables one to hone efficient organizational management and resource allocation skills through repeated public welfare activities.

In a commercial society like Hong Kong, pure charity is certainly valuable, but the long-term solution is to continuously empower charity through commercial means and create a virtuous cycle.

In addition to the disaster-stricken areas in Hong Kong, some areas in Guangdong Province were also severely affected, and Lin Haoran urgently allocated HK$10 million.

Don't underestimate ten million Hong Kong dollars; given the purchasing power of this era, it was a huge sum of money.

After dealing with the disaster situation in Hong Kong, Guo Xiaohan will also find time to visit the disaster-stricken areas in Guangdong Province.

This time, Lin Haoran won't go with her. Anyway, there will be a professional team following them when they get there.

In addition, he specially transferred two professional elite female bodyguards from Huanyu Security Company to Guo Xiaohan to be responsible for all of Guo Xiaohan's safety matters.

These two female bodyguards are agile, quick-witted, and meticulous, providing comprehensive protection without excessively interfering with Guo Xiaohan's daily work and social activities.

After Guo Xiaohan went to the mainland again, Lin Haoran finally had some peace and quiet.

So much has happened during this period.

First, Li Ka-shing, together with the Kadoorie family, Jardine Matheson, and Standard Chartered Bank, suddenly targeted his companies.

He then launched a counterattack, easily defeating the alliance and causing the Kadoorie family to lose control of the Hong Kong Grand Hotel.

Afterwards, Li Ka-shing initiated a price war in supermarkets, and as a result, Lin Haoran directly intervened, not only becoming the largest shareholder of Hutchison Whampoa, but also causing Li Ka-shing's allies to betray Cheung Kong Holdings and sell their shares to him, bringing Lin Haoran's shareholding in Cheung Kong Holdings close to that of Li Ka-shing.

Ultimately, Li Jiacheng was forced to not only give up on his relationship with Huang, but also to soften his stance, and the two sides shook hands and made peace.

Lin Haoran is not one to offend others casually, but if someone offends him, he will definitely retaliate with swift and decisive action until the other party pays a heavy price and completely submits.

Li Jiacheng's example is the best proof.

This series of swift actions not only solidified his business empire but also established an unassailable authority in Hong Kong's business community.

As for Standard Chartered Bank, it also paid a heavy price.

After losing its two major clients, Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa, its subsidiary, Huifeng Bank, is now left with only a few small and medium-sized clients, resulting in a sharp decline in business volume and a significant blow to its reputation.

Although it can still maintain operations thanks to its century-old foundation, it has fallen out of the top tier of Hong Kong's banking industry and its glory days are over.

Standard Chartered Bank, as the parent company, was naturally greatly affected by Huifeng Bank and suffered heavy losses.

This is the consequence of offending Lin Haoran.

He never hesitates to take on any business rivals!

As for Jardine Matheson, it's quick to disappear, but it doesn't have much business in Hong Kong now, so Lin Haoran can't do anything about it for the time being.

However, Lin Haoran will not let Jardine Matheson go in the future.

He had already driven the other party out of Hong Kong, yet he still came back to cause trouble; this feud is now truly settled.

Lin Haoran has always believed in "an eye for an eye." Since Jardine Matheson has no intention of giving up, he will not be polite. However, the time is not yet ripe, so he will keep this debt in mind for now.

He also remembered that the last time Lin Haoran was in Japan, he used 711-Eleven to expand, and Jardine Matheson wanted to get involved and invested in Lawson to compete with 711-Eleven.

Although he ultimately failed and Rosen was acquired by Lin Haoran, he still remembered this grudge.

Although Jardine Matheson, as a global company, withdrew from the Hong Kong market, it still has extensive business operations in Southeast Asia, Britain, and even globally.

Sooner or later, Lin Haoran's businesses will run into Jardine Matheson again, and when that happens, he will make sure they pay him back completely.

Anyway, he had already driven Jardine Matheson out of Hong Kong, so overall, the other party suffered greater losses, while Lin Haoran suffered no losses at all.

Right now, he has more important things to deal with. As for Jardine Matheson, let it run rampant for a while.

Don't assume that just because they've moved out of Hong Kong, Lin Haoran can't handle them anymore.

Now that everything has settled down and the powerful enemy has surrendered, Lin Haoran is finding the rare peace and quiet somewhat unsettling.

Standing in his study in his mansion on Stanford Road, overlooking the gradually revitalizing Victoria Harbour, he was already planning the next phase of his strategy.

The reconciliation with Li Ka-shing is not simply a matter of turning hostility into friendship, but rather signifies that the local business landscape in Hong Kong has been initially integrated.

His real estate, port, retail, energy, and telecommunications businesses have formed a strong synergy, with a deep-rooted foundation that is difficult to shake.

So, where is the next growth engine?
The answer is obvious—early planning in mainland China and global expansion.

However, all of this is already in the planning stages. Lin Haoran now has businesses in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Japan, and even mainland China.

At 9:00 a.m. on October 5, Lin Haoran specially went to the Central Ferry Pier to see Guo Xiaohan off.

Watching the gyroboat leave the Central Ferry Pier, Lin Haoran did not go to the Connaught Building.

Because there's nothing he needs to handle personally for the time being.

Back in the car, Lin Haoran thought for a moment and said to Li Weidong, who was sitting in the driver's seat, "Let's go to Shaw Brothers Studio."

Two days ago, his father, Lin Wan'an, called to tell him that Shaw Brothers Studio had been completely privatized and asked him to visit the company when he had time.

Although he bought the company for his father, Lin Wan'an, to play with, the actual controlling shareholder was still Lin Haoran.

For Lin Wan'an, having his name on the list is meaningless. He's been a businessman his whole life, and now that he's healthier, he can't stand being idle in retirement, so he's just looking for something to do.

So, in general, the Shaw Brothers film company that was actually purchased was still Lin Haoran's personal property.

Hong Kong experienced two more days of rain after the typhoon, and even today it remains overcast.

The convoy drove toward Tai Po Tsai in Clear Water Bay, the wheels splashing tiny droplets of water as they rolled over the wet pavement.

Although the Shaw Studios in Tai Po Tsai, Clearwater Bay, is in a remote location, it has paved roads, so the roads don't feel muddy.

Previously, Shaw sold the Clearwater Bay Film City site to TVB at a symbolic low price, while the Shaw Brothers film company, which was acquired by the Lam family, obtained almost permanent free usage rights.

In Lin Haoran's view, this was more like Shao Yifu finding a reliable home for this base that carried countless dreams of light and shadow, a place where its life could continue.

Nowadays, Shaw Brothers' focus has long been on TVB, and the market share of Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia is decreasing.

Moreover, Shaw was not optimistic about the future of the film market, which had already made him consider withdrawing from the film industry.

This is also the main reason why Lin Haoran was able to persuade Shao Yifu to sell Shaw Brothers Film Company to the Lin family.

At the entrance of the cinema, the security guards, who had already been notified, respectfully let them through. These security guards were all dispatched by Huanyu Security Company; they were their own people.

After the car stopped, Lin Haoran got out. The scene in front of him was slightly old but grand in scale. Between the mountains and the sea of ​​Clearwater Bay, there were street scenes from different dynasties, Western-style buildings in the style of the Republic of China, and even courtyards in the style of Southeast Asia.

But at this moment, without the bustling crowds and the moving film crew, it felt somewhat empty and desolate.

This was Lin Haoran's first time here.

"Haoran, over here!" Lin Wan'an's voice came from a scenic area decorated with replicas of an ancient palace.

He was dressed casually, looking energetic, and was standing with a middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, pointing at the blueprints.

Upon seeing his son, Lin Wan'an smiled and went to greet him.

"Daddy." Lin Haoran nodded, his gaze sweeping over the middle-aged man. "And this gentleman is?"

Lin Wan-an enthusiastically introduced, "This is Mr. Zou Zhenbang, whom I mentioned to you. He worked at Shaw Brothers for several years before going to Hollywood for a few years. He only returned this July. He is very experienced and knowledgeable about film studio management and production processes. Sir Shaw also recommended him."

"Mr. Lin, hello!" Zou Zhenbang quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, his attitude respectful yet capable. "I have long admired your name, and I am finally honored to meet you today."

Lin Haoran shook hands with him and said with a smile, "Mr. Zou, you are too kind. My father is interested in the film industry, but his experience is still limited. The subsequent restructuring and development of Shaw Brothers will still need the help of professionals like Mr. Zou."

The group went into an office next door.

Previously, Lin Haoran had considered poaching a senior professional manager from Hollywood to assist his father, Lin Wan'an. However, considering that the Hong Kong film market was completely different from the Hollywood film market, he ultimately decided to find suitable talent locally.

This Zou Zhenbang, given that he was recommended by Shaw Yifu and approved by his father, and given his familiarity with the Hong Kong market and experience in Hollywood, must have some extraordinary qualities.

"Mr. Lin, you're too kind. It's my honor to serve you and Mr. Lin." Zou Zhenbang was humble and respectful.

Although he had only recently returned from the United States, he was still very familiar with Lin Haoran's general situation. In Hong Kong, Lin Haoran had long been a well-known public figure.

The young man in front of me is a super-rich businessman in Hong Kong, with extensive connections and enormous influence. Even Jardine Matheson, Huafeng, and Standard Chartered are nothing more than his defeated opponents.

For him, being able to befriend such a business tycoon is an absolute blessing.

Lin Haoran didn't stand on ceremony and immediately looked at the blueprints in Lin Wan'an's hand, saying, "Is this the renovation plan for the film studio?"

“Preliminary concept,” Lin Wan’an spread out the blueprints on the workbench beside him, his eyes filled with excitement. “Haoran, look, although this land will belong to TVB in the future, we have long-term free usage rights, which is our biggest advantage.”

The permanent copyrights to the six or seven hundred films held by Shaw Brothers are a veritable goldmine. Zou Sheng suggested that the first step should be a complete overhaul of the cinema's hardware.

The blueprints clearly indicate: renovate the dilapidated photography studio and introduce the most advanced lighting and recording equipment;
Renovate some of the old sets to make them more adaptable to various scenes;
Clean up and organize the massive prop warehouse, and establish a modern rental system;
We also need to upgrade employee dormitories and canteens to attract and retain talent.

Lin Haoran did not respond, but instead recalled the entire view of the cinema he had seen from the outside when he arrived.

Indeed, Shaw Studios now appears somewhat dilapidated.

The Shaw Studios in Clearwater Bay, which was put into use in 1961, has been in operation for a full 20 years.

"If you want to do a complete renovation, it must cost a lot of money, right?" Lin Haoran said casually.

“Indeed, in addition to the renovation, some of the sets are outdated and need to be expanded. Therefore, the final estimate is that it will cost ten to twenty million Hong Kong dollars. The investment in hardware is the foundation, and this money cannot be saved,” Zou Zhenbang said.

Lin Haoran nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "In my opinion, this film set is completely outdated. Apart from the basic main structure, everything else needs to be replaced, and even the buildings themselves need to be repaired."

Instead, let's choose another location and build a larger, more advanced cinema. Tai Po Tsai in Clear Water Bay is too far and inconvenient to get to. I suggest building the new cinema in Tseung Kwan O. Tseung Kwan O is currently developing into a new town, and its future development prospects are promising.

In fact, even if Lin Haoran hadn't brought this up, Shao Yifu would have chosen a new location in the future, and the new film studio would have been located in Tseung Kwan O.

Lin Wan'an and Zou Zhenbang were slightly taken aback by Lin Haoran's words, and then fell into thought.

Lin Wan'an spoke first: "Haoran, this idea is novel, but choosing a different location to build a new cinema will involve considerable costs and risks."

Zou Zhenbang nodded in agreement: "Mr. Lin, although Tseung Kwan O is currently under development, the surrounding facilities and industrial atmosphere are far inferior to those of Clear Water Bay. Moreover, the process from planning to operation of the new film studio is quite lengthy, and the business operations of Shaw Brothers may be affected to some extent during this period."

Most importantly, even excluding land costs, the construction cost could reach hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars. Building from a hilltop is simply too expensive.

“No, we can still use Shaw Brothers Studio. Before the new studio is built, our studio will still be here. This is something I discussed with Uncle Six. We have permanent usage rights to this studio. Before the new studio is built, this studio is enough for our film company.” Lin Haoran waved his hand and said with a smile.

Hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars?

For him, this was really not a large sum of money.

Moreover, this is also a good opportunity to hoard land.

Without a suitable reason, it would be quite difficult to hoard land the size of a film set.

For example, the film set in Tai Po Tsai, Clearwater Bay, covers an area of ​​65 square feet.

So, my newly built movie theater, with an area of ​​one or two million square feet, isn't that too much to ask?

Hong Kong is ultimately a place where every inch of land is extremely valuable. Even in suburban areas like Tai Po Clear Water Bay and Tseung Kwan O, future land prices will be ridiculously high. It's much harder to acquire millions of square meters of land directly, unlike in mainland China.

Although his companies, such as Hongkong Land, Wanqing Group, Hong Kong Electric Group, and Hutchison Whampoa, have long accumulated a lot of land, such as the Whampoa Dockyard, which is extremely valuable.

But Lin Haoran would never complain about having too much land.

While land prices are still low, it would be best to stockpile as much as possible.

Lin Haoran's proposed "new cinema in Tseung Kwan O" plan shocked both Lin Wan'an and Zou Zhenbang.

Zou Zhenbang was the first to recover from his shock, his brows furrowed as he considered the feasibility.

"Mr. Lin, I've been to Tseung Kwan O. It's a large place, by the sea, and the view is indeed great. But as you said, it's costly and time-consuming, and it can't be accomplished overnight."

Conservative estimates suggest that from land acquisition, planning, and construction to equipment installation and commissioning, it will take at least three to five years. If the value of the land is taken into account, the investment could amount to hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

Lin Wan'an's face was also filled with solemnity and hesitation.

When he took over Shaw Brothers, his original intention was to fulfill a childhood dream of making movies and to find something to do to relieve his energy. He planned to make some improvements within the existing framework and make a few good movies. He never thought he would undertake such a large-scale project.

"Haoran, isn't this burden... too heavy?" He looked at his son, his tone seeking confirmation. "Shaw Brothers is in dire need of rebuilding. The most urgent task is to stabilize morale and restore production capabilities."

Renovating Clearwater Bay would save time and effort, and solve the immediate problem. Why go to the trouble of building something completely new and taking such a big risk? Besides, is the film industry really worth such a heavy investment? You mentioned before that it's not a high-profit industry.”

Lin Haoran leaned back on the sofa, looking completely at ease.

He gently waved his hand, interrupting his father's concerns: "Daddy, Mr. Zou, I understand your worries, but when looking at problems, we must look at the long term and the overall situation."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed to the slightly worn-out studio and sets on set: "Renovating Clearwater Bay is just patching things up, at most maintaining the status quo, or even just delaying the decline."

What we're building in Tseung Kwan O isn't another Shaw Brothers Studio, but a 'Hollywood of the East' that will lead the Chinese-language film industry for the next thirty years!

"The film industry itself may not be the most profitable, but its influence, reach, and especially its potential to combine with television, records, and even technology in the future are immeasurable."

As Hong Kong's economy takes off, the demand for cultural consumption among citizens is bound to surge, and the film market will only continue to grow. More importantly, what will be the future value of that barren seaside land in Tseung Kwan O? Acquiring it now would be an excellent way to build up land reserves!
During the film studio's construction period, Clearwater Bay can continue to be used without any disruption. This is not only a strategic move for the cultural industry but also a high-quality real estate investment. Looking at the long term, this is definitely a worthwhile investment.

As Lin Haoran spoke, Lin Wan'an and Zou Zhenbang gradually fell into thought.

Seeing this, Lin Haoran smiled and continued, "As for hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars? You all know that this is not a problem for me. I have a lot of surplus funds that need to be invested. Rather than letting them sit idle in the bank, it is better to invest them in projects that can create long-term value and have strategic significance."

Lin Haoran's confident tone and strong financial backing dispelled any remaining doubts Lin Wan'an and Zou Zhenbang had.

Yes, the person in front of us is someone who can use billions of dollars to create a huge impact on the business world. For him, an investment of several hundred million Hong Kong dollars is really not a big deal.

Zou Zhenbang's eyes instantly turned fervent.

He originally thought he was just there to help a wealthy man manage a declining old film company, keep it running, and make a few blockbuster films would be the limit.

Unexpectedly, Lin Haoran's ambition and scale are so grand. This is not a minor repair or fix, but a plan to create a behemoth in the film industry!
This was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an ambitious professional manager like him.

Zou Zhenbang stood up excitedly, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Lin Sheng has such great foresight! I was short-sighted!"
If we can truly build a modern, leading film studio in Asia in Tseung Kwan O, it will play a decisive role in attracting top talent, producing high-budget, high-quality films, and even competing with Hollywood in the future. I fully support this plan!

Seeing his son's confidence and the high regard of professionals, Lin Wan'an's initial hesitation turned into support.

He slapped his thigh and laughed, "Alright! Since Haoran is so confident, then Daddy will go all out with you! We'll build this Tseung Kwan O cinema!"

(End of this chapter)