Chapter 73: The Next Two Big Money-Making Plans
Each harbored their own thoughts, calculating against the other.
For Halier Centurion, granting Lin Haoran the title of vice chairman was merely a temporary strategy. He was already scheming how to gradually weaken Lin Haoran's actual power and eventually turn him into a powerless figurehead. Learn the true essence of business from me? It would end up being a futile hope, he thought.
For Lin Haoran, penetrating Qingzhou Cement's upper management was merely the crucial first step.
"Mr. Halier, may I have a tour of the company?" Lin Haoran asked with a polite smile.
"Of course. Mr. Lin, you are now one of Qingzhou Cement's major shareholders. Although you currently hold no official position, you are indeed part owner. Touring the company is your right. However, I do have urgent matters to attend to and cannot personally accompany you. Rest assured, I'll assign someone familiar with the company to guide you," Halier responded, both courteous and professional.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Halier," Lin Haoran replied graciously.
A few minutes later, a sharp-looking man in his thirties entered Halier's office. His composed and capable demeanor suggested that he was one of Halier's trusted aides.
"Mr. Lin, please allow me to lead you on the tour," he said, extending his hand respectfully.
"Thank you. I'll be in your care," Lin Haoran replied, and they both left the chairman's office, taking the elevator out of Qingzhou Tower.
The headquarters of Qingzhou Cement was vast and impressive.
Beyond three commercial buildings each over a dozen stories tall, there sprawled an expansive production zone, well-organized warehouses, and a busy dock — together forming a formidable industrial complex.
Guided by the western employee, Lin Haoran visited various sections of the company. The guide's explanations were thorough and professional, covering the company's history, core operations, production processes, and market strategies.
Lin Haoran also learned that, aside from its headquarters, Qingzhou Cement had another facility in Kennedy Town, on the western side of Hong Kong Island — a cement packaging and storage site cleverly hidden within a building.
This detailed introduction allowed Lin Haoran to gain a comprehensive and profound understanding of Qingzhou Cement.
As the largest cement producer in Hong Kong, Qingzhou Cement was an undisputed industry leader.
With the booming real estate sector, demand for cement — the essential building material — was skyrocketing, and Qingzhou Cement's production had climbed year after year to staggering levels.
Comparing market size, Qingzhou Cement dwarfed his own Huafeng Cement Factory by more than ten times.
Could it really be that a company so massive only made a profit double that of Huafeng Cement?
Lin Haoran found it hard to believe.
In the cement industry, scale typically led to stronger bargaining power, better cost control, and larger market share — all factors that should translate into higher profitability.
Moreover, Qingzhou Cement's prime location provided unmatched transportation advantages, both by land and sea, drastically cutting logistics costs.
This strategic advantage should have significantly boosted their profits.
Clearly, something was being hidden — and the key to uncovering the truth seemed to lie with Halier Centurion.
That said, Lin Haoran knew that soon everything would become clear.
By today, his holdings had reached 30.7% of Qingzhou Cement shares. At this pace, within half a month he would surpass 40% — the critical threshold for absolute control.
At that point, even if Halier clung to his own shares, Lin Haoran could still force him out, either through legal means or by pressuring him to resign.
With the market's daily noise fading after the closing bell, Huanyu Investment's trading team, under Su Zhixue's precise leadership, once again posted impressive gains.
As night fell, Lin Haoran sat quietly in his office, deep in thought, his mind filled with plans for the future.
Taking control of Qingzhou Cement was just the beginning.
For him, owning Qingzhou Cement was not the final goal, but the starting point for a much greater journey.
He understood that in the late 1970s — an era brimming with opportunity — capital was king. Without sufficient financial backing, ambitions would remain castles in the air.
Thus, further accumulating wealth had become his top priority.
In his mind, Lin Haoran had already drawn up several blueprints for rapid wealth accumulation.
One tempting path was investing in the coming surge in gold prices. But he knew the timing wasn't quite right yet.
From his past life's knowledge, he recalled that between 1978 and 1979, a series of international crises — like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran hostage crisis — would trigger a surge in geopolitical tensions. Combined with global economic depression and rampant inflation, particularly in the U.S., this would send gold prices soaring.
From May 1979 to January 1980, gold prices would skyrocket from around $250 per ounce to an astonishing $850 — a 340% surge.
Such explosive returns were rare in traditional businesses, where simply avoiding losses was already considered a success.
Faced with such an opportunity, Lin Haoran was determined not to miss it — but he would proceed patiently and calmly.
Currently, it was October 1978. The true explosion in gold prices wouldn't start until May 1979 — several months away.
Though gold had been trending upward, the growth from October 1978 to May 1979 would be relatively modest — from around $210 to $250 per ounce.
Thus, committing capital too early would not be worthwhile given the small returns versus time cost.
For now, Lin Haoran decided to wait.
His ultimate goal was maximizing the value of his capital — and in business, timing and strategy were everything.
He had demonstrated his foresight and decisiveness by securing Qingzhou Cement before Li Jiacheng could act.
Had he simply thrown his money into gold early, he would have missed this precious chance to acquire a major corporate asset.
Given his current resources, it was unrealistic to challenge the top British firms just yet. Qingzhou Cement was an excellent target at his current level.
Lin Haoran believed that behind every international crisis lay immense business opportunities.
Such crises were like flashes of lightning amid storms — and only those prepared could capitalize on them at the perfect moment.
"Buy low, sell high" — a simple phrase, yet it contained the secret to the success of the world's top tycoons.
Nearly every wealthy magnate had once capitalized on a perfectly timed investment.
Lin Haoran understood that doing ordinary business might bring success, but to join the ranks of the truly elite, one had to possess extraordinary foresight, decisive action, and an acute grasp of market trends.
Currently, besides closely watching the gold market, Lin Haoran was also preparing another plan for fast profits — taking advantage of the upcoming Second Oil Crisis.
Once the Qingzhou Cement matter was settled, he would immediately shift focus to the oil market, knowing that time was running short.
From his knowledge, the Second Oil Crisis would erupt due to the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution at the end of the year — around December.
Until then, oil prices would remain relatively stable, below $13 per barrel.
Thus, after securing Qingzhou Cement, Lin Haoran planned to swiftly build his position in the oil market.
As he pondered these strategies, the office phone rang.
As expected, it was a call from Halier Centurion.
Halier reported that he had contacted all key shareholders — the five British members and three Hong Kong Chinese shareholders.
Since they were all currently in Hong Kong, the board meeting could be convened without issue.
The meeting was scheduled for tomorrow morning at ten o'clock sharp.
"Mr. Lin, the board meeting is extremely important. Please don't be late," Halier reminded Lin Haoran specially.
"Rest assured, Mr. Halier. I'll be there on time," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
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