Chapter 488: A Long-Awaited Meeting with Liu Luanyong
At Hong Kong Electric's headquarters, inside an empty conference room, Lin Haoran entered first, followed closely by Kenneth Ho, who quietly closed the door behind him.
He knew that if the boss had called him here personally, it must be for something important.
"Sit down, don't just stand there," Lin Haoran said with a smile as he noticed Kenneth still standing.
Kenneth nodded and pulled out a chair to sit down.
"Boss, is there something you need from me?" Kenneth asked, full of curiosity.
Towards this boss, Kenneth felt nothing but gratitude.
"How have things been for you recently?" Lin Haoran didn't jump straight to the point but started with casual conversation.
"Very good," Kenneth replied. "At Hong Kong Electric, I've been exposed to things I never had access to before. I feel like I've grown a lot, and Chairman Chen has also treated me very well."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Lin Haoran nodded. "I've been watching your progress over the past year or so. When I first arranged for you to come to Hong Kong Electric, it was with the intention of giving you valuable experience. I have bigger plans for you. Now, I believe the time is ripe, but I will respect your choice. If you prefer to stay at Hong Kong Electric, that's fine too. That's why I called you here today."
Hearing this, Kenneth, who had been calm, felt a surge of emotion.
The boss's words carried incredible weight — he hadn't realized how highly he was valued.
His heart was filled with gratitude.
"Boss, please tell me. I will consider it carefully," he answered solemnly.
"You probably know a bit about the Japanese market," Lin Haoran began.
"I see tremendous potential there and plan to make large-scale investments.
I've already assembled a team to accompany me, but now I urgently need a capable assistant. Kenneth, I think you are the best choice."
"You have a strong financial background, excellent negotiation skills, and have gained considerable management experience at Hong Kong Electric this past year.
This Japan operation will involve a huge investment — starting at 4 billion Hong Kong dollars — and it absolutely must succeed.
I don't trust anyone else as much as I trust you.
That's why I hope you'll join me in Japan to build a new foundation there."
Lin Haoran finished speaking and looked directly at Kenneth, awaiting his response.
"I don't trust anyone else as much as I trust you" — these words echoed endlessly in Kenneth's mind.
At that moment, he felt an unprecedented wave of excitement and responsibility.
For a second, he even had the heroic thought of dedicating his entire life to repay this trust.
Lin Haoran noticed something remarkable: Kenneth's loyalty score had jumped from 96 to 98 — only a hair's breadth away from perfect 100 loyalty.
He hadn't expected a few simple words to push Kenneth's loyalty even higher.
It was a pleasant surprise, given how hard loyalty was to increase at higher levels.
At that moment, Lin Haoran felt even more certain that he must take Kenneth with him to Japan — not just as an assistant, but as the leader of the new division.
Although Kenneth had never worked at Land Corporation, he wasn't unfamiliar with real estate.
Both Qingzhou Cement and Hong Kong Electric Group had real estate divisions, and Kenneth had exposure through them.
Moreover, Lin Haoran had already assembled a capable team under Ma Shimin's guidance.
Even if Kenneth lacked deep real estate knowledge, he would have plenty of support.
Business management principles were largely universal anyway.
At the same time, Kenneth's emotions were mixed — thrilled yet hesitant.
After a moment's thought, Kenneth said,
"Boss, I am extremely grateful for your trust.
But this is a heavy responsibility, and I fear I might not be capable enough.
I'm still young."
"No," Lin Haoran shook his head firmly.
"I believe you are more than capable. I'm asking you simply — are you willing?"
Hearing this, Kenneth lowered his head, clearly wrestling with his thoughts.
This was a tremendous opportunity.
It was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate — if he succeeded, he might truly transform into a giant dragon.
After a long moment, Kenneth gritted his teeth, looked up, and said with determination,
"Boss, I'm willing!"
"Good! I knew I didn't misjudge you!" Lin Haoran smiled broadly and patted Kenneth on the shoulder.
"Boss, when do we depart? I'll need time to hand over my duties at Hong Kong Electric," Kenneth asked.
"This month, as soon as possible.
By the way, Kenneth — you're not married yet, are you?" Lin Haoran asked.
It was already January 20th — only 11 days remained in the month.
"No, I've been focused entirely on my career," Kenneth replied.
Lin Haoran nodded in approval.
"Alright then, if there's nothing else, get ready as quickly as you can," he instructed.
"Understood, Boss. I'll go prepare now," Kenneth said, standing up and leaving the conference room respectfully.
Watching Kenneth's departing figure, Lin Haoran smiled.
With Kenneth accompanying him, Lin Haoran felt much more confident about conquering Japan.
After sitting a while longer, Lin Haoran also left the conference room.
"What?! Boss, I've been grooming Mr. Ho as my successor, and now you're transferring him away without even discussing it with me? That's really putting me in a difficult position!"
In Chen Shoulin's office, Chen reacted strongly after hearing Lin Haoran's decision.
"Chairman Chen, in my opinion, you're managing Hong Kong Electric exceptionally well.
You have at least another ten years of leadership in you.
You don't need to worry about succession just yet.
I believe in you!" Lin Haoran laughed heartily, unbothered by Chen's complaints.
After all, Kenneth was a rare talent.
Hong Kong Electric losing him was a loss, so Chen's reaction was understandable.
Although Chen protested fiercely, he also knew he couldn't change the boss's decision.
With a sigh, Chen said,
"Fine. Since you've decided, I won't argue."
Around noon, Lin Haoran had originally planned to eat a simple lunch at Hong Kong Electric's cafeteria.
But just then, his pager buzzed.
Returning the call, he found it was Liu Luanyong, an old acquaintance.
"Haoran, do you have time? I'd like to treat you to a meal," Liu said over the phone.
"Sure, where?" Lin Haoran asked, smiling.
It had indeed been a long time since he last met Liu Luanyong.
After selling his shares in Aimco, Lin Haoran hadn't seen him again.
"Let's meet at the Joy Lai Restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui.
I know that restaurant belongs to your group," Liu said.
"Alright, I'll be there in about half an hour. Wait for me," Lin Haoran replied.
After hanging up, he said goodbye to Chen and left Hong Kong Electric's building.
Half an hour later, Lin Haoran entered a private room at Joy Lai Restaurant.
Joy Lai was a renowned high-end restaurant in Hong Kong, one of Land Corporation's lesser-known assets.
Inside, Liu Luanyong enthusiastically greeted him.
Since Lin Haoran's withdrawal, Liu had outwardly competed with Kaning Group but secretly sold his shares in Aimco at high prices.
He had successfully cashed out, earning a fortune — perhaps not as much as Lin Haoran, but he was already very satisfied.
"You've been quiet lately. Where have you been?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.
"After selling my Aimco shares, I went to the U.S. for a while," Liu said.
"I must thank you, Haoran. You showed me the true power of capital.
Compared to the hard work of running a physical business, investing in stocks is much more profitable."
"In the U.S., I really saw how fast the junk bond market and M&A deals were growing.
I learned a lot — especially about using capital leverage."
"After observing Wall Street, I realized Hong Kong's financial operations are still a bit behind.
Selling Aimco was definitely the right decision."
"I've also heard about your achievements here.
Truly incredible!
Every move you make could stand alongside the best examples of American capital operations."
"In Hong Kong's business world, you're like someone operating on a higher dimension.
It's no wonder you've achieved such astonishing success in such a short time," Liu said, full of admiration.
Listening to him, Lin Haoran just smiled.
Indeed, compared to his old methods of running solid businesses, Liu now understood the faster game of capital — but Lin Haoran, a true master of capital, was already far beyond him.
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