Chapter 144 - Joining Qingzhou Cement Company
"Jianning, this is a great opportunity, and your academic background fits this position perfectly. You should hurry and thank Mr. Lin," Huo Jianning's mother said eagerly, before her son could even respond. After all, this was a rare chance. In her eyes, her son, freshly returned from studying abroad, had no real work experience yet. Just getting into a major corporation as a regular accountant would have been excellent. But now, he was being offered a senior management position right away!
Internally, however, Huo Jianning was torn. Just two days ago, a friend and former classmate from the University of Hong Kong had recommended him for a position at Cheung Kong Holdings — one of Hong Kong's top real estate companies. His friend, who held a senior post at Cheung Kong, knew he had just returned from the U.S. and offered to introduce him for an opening as an accounting supervisor.
Huo Jianning was confident he could handle the accounting supervisor role, and he had almost decided to accept. Cheung Kong Holdings was one of the "Five Tigers" of Hong Kong real estate. A bigger platform meant more opportunities for growth. It seemed like the obvious path for a bright future.
Now, unexpectedly, another listed company had come knocking, and not just any representative — the Chairman himself, Lin Haoran, had come personally to invite him. Normally, if the two companies were comparable in scale, he would have immediately chosen Qingzhou Cement Company. The sincerity alone would have won him over.
But from a pure business standpoint, Qingzhou Cement was far smaller than Cheung Kong Holdings. And although being offered a CFO position at Qingzhou Cement was higher than an accounting supervisor at Cheung Kong, Huo Jianning couldn't ignore the fact that the real estate industry had a much bigger future in Hong Kong than construction materials.
Still, faced with Lin Haoran's sincerity, he couldn't make a snap decision. "Mr. Lin, I am deeply honored by your personal invitation. But given my current qualifications, are you sure I am suitable for the CFO position?" he asked cautiously, throwing the question back.
"I firmly believe in my friend's recommendation," Lin Haoran said calmly. "He is confident in your ability, and I trust his judgment. I always believe that talent deserves opportunities. And if your performance meets my expectations, I plan to promote you to an even bigger platform."
He continued, "Let me reveal a little secret — I'm currently in the process of acquiring a large, diversified listed company. When that deal is complete, I'll have a much larger enterprise under my control. I foresee a great future for you if you join me now. Qingzhou Cement is just a temporary platform.
"I am currently the Chairman of two listed companies — Qingzhou Cement and Wan'an Group. Perhaps you don't know much about me yet, having just returned from America. But I'm already privatizing both companies. I have no shortage of money, and I can promise you a platform big enough for your ambitions.
"So why worry about whether you can handle it?"
Lin Haoran's words shook Huo Jianning. Indeed, Cheung Kong Holdings had a larger platform, but he would start as just an accounting supervisor, with no guarantee of promotion. Here, Lin Haoran was offering him an executive role from the start — a faster, more direct path to the top.
Although he didn't know what company Lin Haoran was in the process of acquiring, Huo Jianning didn't believe someone of Lin Haoran's stature would go out of his way to deceive a nobody like himself.
Still, Huo Jianning did not immediately agree. "Mr. Lin, could you give me a little time to consider? This opportunity came so suddenly. I promise to give you an answer this afternoon," he said cautiously.
"Of course," Lin Haoran smiled. "Take your time. If you join us, I believe you won't regret it."
With that, Lin Haoran politely said goodbye to Huo Jianning and his mother. Leaving the Huo residence, he made his way back to Qingzhou Cement.
Finding talent was always a two-way street — it had to be mutual. It couldn't be forced. Still, Lin Haoran was confident that Huo Jianning would accept. From Huo Jianning's mother's attitude alone, it was clear she would persuade her son. And Lin Haoran was determined to recruit this exceptional talent.
After Lin Haoran left, Huo Jianning's mother asked, "Jianning, why didn't you just say yes? This is such a rare opportunity! And Mr. Lin personally came to invite you — doesn't that show how much he values you?"
"Mom, I have my own considerations. Also, I need to understand more about Qingzhou Cement. I've just come back from the U.S. — I don't know what's been happening. Wasn't Qingzhou Cement a British-owned company? How did it suddenly have a young Chinese Chairman?" Huo Jianning asked in return.
"This all started last November," his mother explained. "It was huge news at the time. Let me find the newspapers your father collected."
She disappeared into the study and came back with several newspapers. If Huo's father had been home, he could have found them faster.
Huo Jianning sat down and carefully read the articles. Back then, the media had extensively covered Lin Haoran's acquisition — a historic moment, the first time a Chinese businessman had taken over a British-listed company. It had caused a sensation.
The more he read, the more intrigued Huo Jianning became. Lin Haoran seemed almost like a figure who had emerged out of nowhere, instantly pulling off an unprecedented acquisition. The articles even mentioned how he had managed to buy stock from Li Jiacheng himself — a detail that shocked Huo Jianning.
"This is someone even Cheung Kong Holdings had to yield to? Who exactly is Lin Haoran? It can't just be Wan'an Group behind him," Huo Jianning thought to himself.
Finished reading, he didn't rush to a decision. Instead, he contacted a few well-connected friends to learn more about Lin Haoran.
Thanks to his family background and his University of Hong Kong network, he quickly gathered more information. What he learned only deepened his respect. Lin Haoran had cleverly manipulated public skepticism about young investors to lower Qingzhou Cement's stock price, then privatized it cheaply. At its lowest, Qingzhou Cement's market cap had fallen below two billion Hong Kong dollars — even though its Redhill industrial land alone could sell for several billion.
The more he thought about it, the more impressed he became. Lin Haoran was far more formidable than he appeared.
Maybe... following Lin Haoran wouldn't be worse than joining Cheung Kong Holdings. And there was something else: Lin Haoran had personally come to recruit him — something most bosses would never do. That sense of respect and recognition touched Huo Jianning deeply.
At Cheung Kong, he would only be another junior staffer — nothing was guaranteed. At Qingzhou Cement, he would start as CFO, a real senior manager. If things didn't work out, he could always resign later. Why not take the chance?
After thorough consideration, Huo Jianning made his decision: he would accept Lin Haoran's offer.
Around noon, he called Lin Haoran's pager. When Lin Haoran called back, Huo Jianning solemnly said, "Mr. Lin, I have made my decision. I accept your invitation to join Qingzhou Cement!"
"Excellent! You didn't disappoint me. No better time than now — meet me at Qingzhou Cement at 3 PM this afternoon," Lin Haoran replied cheerfully.
Poaching Huo Jianning from under Cheung Kong Holdings' nose — a major win! Lin Haoran knew Huo Jianning's greatest strength: loyalty. In his previous life, Huo Jianning had briefly left Cheung Kong to start a business, but soon returned and stayed loyal for life.
A loyal and talented right-hand man — who wouldn't want that?
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