In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

In Su Zhixue's office, Lin Haoran and Su Zhixue sat facing each other.

The general manager of Huanyu Investment Company, who had just returned from Venezuela, immediately threw himself into his busy work upon arriving back at the company.

His desk was piled high with documents, including settlement reports on Latin American debt and company documents that required his signature for decisions during his business trip.

Su Zhixue personally brewed tea for the boss, using tea leaves he had brought from Hong Kong.

Although he has been in the United States for three years, Su Zhixue still can't get used to American coffee and brews several pots of Tieguanyin tea that he brought from Hong Kong every day.

Lin Haoran picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and the familiar aroma of tea spread in his mouth, reminding him of his office in Hong Kong.

After watching Lin Haoran place the teacup on the coffee table, Su Zhixue then spoke up, "Boss, let me report to you on the final outcome of this Latin American debt crisis."

Lin Haoran nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Su Zhixue picked up a thick document from his desk and handed it to Lin Haoran with both hands: "Boss, this is a detailed settlement report. All positions in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela have been closed out. After deducting expenses, the net profit is $418.3 billion."

Lin Haoran took the document, flipped through a few pages, and his smile became even brighter.

The data shows that Mexico's two operations generated a total profit of $158.1 billion; Brazil's total profit of $154.3 billion; Argentina's total profit of $58.2 billion; and Venezuela's total profit of $47.7 billion.

The total net profit is exactly the figure Su Zhixue mentioned: US$418.3 billion!
This number was much higher than he had expected.

Previously, Su Zhixue predicted that the total revenue from Argentina and Venezuela should be between 80 billion and 100 billion, but now it seems that the final revenue has exceeded Su Zhixue's budget.

"Among them, we have already transferred the funds from Mexico and Brazil in batches. Together with some funds from Argentina and Venezuela, a total of $346 billion has been transferred to our accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and other countries through various covert channels."

Su Zhixue continued, "The remaining $72.3 billion is also being transferred in an orderly manner. Although these countries have very strict capital controls, we have mature channels and rich experience. The remaining funds are expected to be transferred in full within the next month!"

Lin Haoran smiled and said, "Okay, Zhixue, you deserve a lot of credit for managing this Latin American debt crisis. I will fulfill all the dividends and vacations I promised you!"

Su Zhixue quickly waved his hand and said, "Boss, I was just following your investment arrangements. I was merely carrying out your orders, not the biggest contributor!"

Lin Haoran crossed his legs, picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then put it down.

He looked at Su Zhixue and said seriously, "Zhixue, don't be modest. Planning ahead is my job, but execution is your job. Without you overseeing things and personally directing the operation, even the best judgment can't be implemented."

Moreover, in this Latin America operation, you weren't just executing orders; your judgment and decision-making played a crucial role at many critical moments!

Lin Haoran is right. Although he knows the general direction of development and it was his order to make arrangements for these countries, the most unpredictable things in the financial field are the details.

During the handling of this Latin American debt crisis, Su Zhixue made several brilliant on-the-spot decisions.

For example, during the closing phase in Brazil, their original plan was to close their positions at a certain point in time. However, Su Zhixue keenly sensed the change in market sentiment and decisively made his move two days earlier. As a result, on the third day, the Central Bank of Brazil suddenly announced intervention in the foreign exchange market, causing sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate. If they had closed their positions two days later, they would have lost at least several hundred million US dollars in profits.

These subtle judgments cannot be made with a macro-strategic perspective alone; rather, they require an extremely profound understanding of the market and keen intuition.

Su Zhixue had this kind of intuition.

Perhaps it was through his experience in numerous major battles that he gradually developed this keen market sense.

Lin Haoran looked at his old subordinate who had been with him the longest, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

Today, Su Zhixue is no longer the ordinary financial analyst who used to work diligently in a small office near the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, connecting with Hong Kong traders via telephone.

Over the years, from Hong Kong to the United States, from stocks to foreign exchange, from the oil crisis to the Latin American bond crisis, Su Zhixue has followed Lin Haoran through one large-scale financial battle after another, and each time he has been tempered, grown and transformed in real combat.

If Lin Haoran is the helmsman of this financial warship, then Su Zhixue is the most trustworthy captain.

Without his command on the front lines, even the best strategies cannot be implemented.

"Boss, you flatter me." Su Zhixue's tone was humble, but a hint of satisfaction at being recognized flashed in his eyes. "To be honest, this Latin American operation is much more complicated than the previous investments."

Those countries have unstable political situations and volatile policies; sometimes an agreement signed today can be overturned tomorrow. We have to prepare multiple contingency plans at any time.

Lin Haoran nodded and said, "That's why I insisted that you personally oversee things, rather than staying in New York to command remotely. I don't trust anyone else to do it."

Su Zhixue felt a warmth in his heart, picked up his teacup, and drank the whole cup in one go, concealing the emotions in his eyes.

He put down his teacup and suddenly said, "Boss, I heard from Zixing that you're planning to give us a new office, is that right?"

Lin Haoran was slightly taken aback, then laughed, picked up his teacup and took another sip, saying unhurriedly, "That kid Zixing, he sure knows how to talk."

“Actually, I’ve been planning to bring this up with you, boss, for a while now. After three years of development in the US, the company is no longer the same size it used to be, and this office is gradually becoming insufficient for us,” Su Zhixue said with a smile. “However, it just so happened that you asked me to make pre-crisis preparations in Latin America, so I postponed it.”

Now that you, boss, know, I don't need to report this to you separately.

"Huanyu Investment Company is indeed moving offices, especially since I sometimes need you to lead the team to invest in investments that can't be known by too many people. Right now, the Huanyu headquarters office is crowded with people coming and going, which is not very convenient."

"So this matter is indeed very important. We just happened to make a lot of money this time, so I was thinking of moving the company to a better headquarters," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

"Boss, do you have a target in mind?" Su Zhixue asked curiously.

Lin Haoran didn't rush to answer. Instead, he picked up the handbag that was placed to the side, unzipped it, and handed over 35 documents about the Manhattan Building.

"Boss, what's this?" Su Zhixue asked, taking the documents with a puzzled look.

Lin Haoran laughed and said, "These are all buildings that I plan to invest in and buy. Huanyu Investment Company has done a great job this time. You can select one of these buildings to use as our headquarters. The company will manage the entire building. Whether you rent it out or use it yourself, I won't interfere!"

The 35 Manhattan buildings are not all he plans to buy yet; there are still some that haven't been decided. He intends to acquire approximately 40 to 50 buildings.

Su Zhixue took the thick stack of documents with both hands, feeling their weight.

He opened the top page, which was a building located at 40 Wall Street. Built in 1930, it was over 70 meters tall with 40 floors and was one of the landmark buildings in Lower Manhattan.

The asking price was $28 million, and the documents were densely packed with details such as area, floor, tenant, lease expiration date, and rental income for the past three years.

Although Su Zhixue is not a real estate expert, he has gained a much better understanding of commercial real estate than the average person by following Lin Haoran for many years.

He flipped through the pages quickly, becoming increasingly alarmed with each page he read.

These buildings are all located in the heart of Manhattan, near Times Square, Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center... Each of these addresses represents a rare and valuable asset.

Moreover, the prices Lin Haoran marked were significantly lower than the market price, some even by 20% or 30%.

"Boss, why are the prices of these buildings so low?" Su Zhixue looked up and asked in confusion.

He has been in New York for three years now, so he has some understanding of the local real estate market.

Lin Haoran picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "The commercial real estate market in New York is currently in a slump. Many owners bought at high prices a few years ago, but now their cash flow has dried up, forcing them to cut their losses and leave the market."

Furthermore, while the Reagan administration's economic recovery plan has shown initial results, market confidence has not fully recovered, and everyone is watching and hesitant to act. "In times like these, those with cash on hand are king; when others are fearful, I am greedy."

Su Zhixue nodded, secretly admiring him.

The boss's vision and courage are truly unmatched by ordinary people.

He continued to look through the documents, studying each building carefully.

He recognized many of the buildings here.

For Su Zhixue, since the boss asked him to choose one of the buildings, he naturally had to choose the best one!

After all, Huanyu Investment Company made so much money for the boss this time, so choosing the best building is also a recognition of the team's hard work over the past few years.

In addition, he was also ambitious and hoped to help his boss develop and expand Huanyu Investment Company, rather than just following his boss's plans.

His targets were top global investment banks such as Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bearston.

If he can lead Universal Investment Company to become a world-class investment bank, that will be the greatest achievement of his life.

Su Zhixue continued to flip through the documents, studying each building carefully.

He was somewhat tempted when he saw the Goldman Sachs global headquarters building.

However, seeing that Goldman Sachs had already signed a long-term lease agreement with the original owner, he continued scrolling down.

But around the twenty-fifth minute, his hand stopped.

This is a building located in Midtown Manhattan, next to Central Park. It has 52 floors and a total floor area of ​​over 1.2 million square feet.

Built in 1972, the building is in good condition and features a dark glass curtain wall facade with a modern and grand design.

The document states: Asking price is $1.8 million. The current owner is a German real estate fund that is eager to sell due to cash flow problems.

Among all the documents, this building is considered to be one of the most expensive.

However, Lin Haoran felt that the building was well worth the location and age.

Moreover, $1.8 million is just the price offered by the owner, so there is naturally room for negotiation.

“Boss, this building…” Su Zhixue’s eyes lit up.

Lin Haoran peeked out and laughed, "Zhixue, you really know your stuff. This building is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, right next to the south side of Central Park. It's surrounded by Manhattan's top business and hotel districts, and it's only a few blocks from Citibank's headquarters. I spotted it at a glance when I was sifting through the information."

Most importantly, the building's internal structure is ideally suited for trading floors and offices; its high ceilings, few pillars, and expansive views make it a top-tier trading environment in the United States if renovated.

Su Zhixue became more and more satisfied as he looked at the building. There were also photos in the building's information, although not many, but they basically covered the exterior and some of the interiors of the floors.

He said directly, "Boss, let's go with this building. It's in a good location, relatively new, and the structure is suitable for renovation. It's perfect as the headquarters of Huanyu Investment Company."

Lin Haoran nodded and said, "Okay, then let Huanyu keep this building. After the acquisition is completed, we can renovate it and create one of the top trading centers and office environments in the United States."

You'll be in charge of the renovations. There's no budget limit; go for whatever you like. The company needs absolute privacy and security. I'll have Citibank assist you; they have many partner construction and renovation companies, and I'll have them find the best renovation team for the company.

Su Zhixue nodded, already sketching out what his future office would look like in his mind.

The trading hall is enormous, with dozens of large electronic screens displaying real-time market data from major global markets. Traders sit in front of state-of-the-art trading terminals, their fingers flying across the keyboards…

The top-of-the-line CEO office features 360-degree panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park and offering unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline…

There are also dedicated meeting rooms, staff restaurant, gym, and lounge; every detail is meticulously crafted…

Each floor has its own password lock, and the core trading area requires multiple identity verifications to enter. All communication lines are encrypted, and all electronic devices undergo rigorous security testing.

These are all things that Su Zhixue needs to implement one by one.

Huanyu Investment Company's business often involves the flow of billions or even tens of billions of yuan, and any information leak could cause incalculable losses.

Therefore, safety should always be the top priority.

"Boss, when can we buy this building? I can't wait to move our headquarters here as soon as possible!" Su Zhixue's eyes were full of anticipation, and his tone was unusually urgent.

Lin Haoran smiled and shook his head, saying, "Zhixue, you can't rush things. The process of commercial real estate transactions in Manhattan is complicated. Due diligence alone takes a month. Add to that negotiation, signing, transfer, and closing, and it will take at least two or three months."

Moreover, the current tenants in this building need time to vacate or be relocated; it can't be rushed.

Upon hearing this, Su Zhixue realized that he had been a little too anxious.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and smiled, "The boss is right. I was too impatient. I was just thinking that if Huanyu Investment Company could have its own headquarters building, it would greatly enhance its image to the outside world, and we would be more confident in attracting top financial talents in the future."

Lin Haoran laughed and said, "Don't worry, I will ask Citibank to help us secure the purchase of this building first, and strive to have the property rights of this building transferred to the company after you return to New York from Hong Kong!"
I'll head over to Citibank headquarters soon and have them finalize the acquisition of these buildings for me!

Previously, Lin Haoran had told Su Zhixue that after the investment in the Latin American debt crisis was completed and the company's affairs were settled, he would give Su Zhixue a month's vacation so that he could go back to Hong Kong to visit his family and relax.

Currently, there is still some work to be done to resolve the Latin American debt crisis, namely, transferring all funds out of Venezuela and Argentina.

This matter should be resolved before the Chinese New Year, at which time he will be able to allow Su Zhixue to take his family back to Hong Kong to celebrate the New Year.

Since being sent to the United States, Su Zhixue has returned to Hong Kong very few times in the past three years. Each time, he has to rush to finish his business and leave, without even having time to have a meal with his old friends.

Although Su Zhixue had no complaints and never confided in Lin Haoran, Lin Haoran, as the boss, understood this basic social etiquette.

Although his wife and children followed him to New York, his parents, relatives, and friends were all in Hong Kong. Even if he didn't say it, he couldn't help but miss his home in Hong Kong.

Moreover, Su Zhixue is one of his most capable assistants, and Lin Haoran doesn't want him to neglect his family because of work. Only proper rest and relaxation can allow a person to go further.

Just as his investment in Latin American debt crisis ended, there were no other important investments that required his personal involvement, so this vacation came at the perfect time.

“Boss, don’t worry, I will keep a close eye on the fund transfer in Latin America until the very end, making sure every penny is safely in place before I return to Hong Kong,” Su Zhixue said solemnly.

Lin Haoran nodded and smiled, "I trust you to get things done. Alright, let's call it a day. You've just returned to New York and have a lot of things to take care of, so I won't bother you any longer."

As he spoke, Lin Haoran put the stack of documents back into his briefcase, stood up from the sofa, and picked up his suit jacket from the armrest of the sofa.

Su Zhixue quickly stood up to see him off: "Boss, let me see you to the elevator."

Lin Haoran waved his hand and laughed, "No need, you go about your business!"

He planned to first hand over the information on the Manhattan buildings he had already secured for acquisition to John Reed, so that Citibank could help negotiate the transaction prices for these properties as soon as possible, and then proceed with the next step of the transaction! (End of this chapter)