Chapter 187 Can We Beat Them?
In the blink of an eye, time had unknowingly moved on to February 14.
Today was a special day—Valentine's Day in the Western calendar.
Around noon, Lin Haoran received a call from Guan Jiahui, saying she wanted to come and see him.
Girls are all about romance when they are in love. On special days like this, they love to be with their man to feel the romance.
Lin Haoran did not refuse. He simply told her to stay where she was and had Li Weiguo drive the Mercedes-Benz to pick her up.
In Hong Kong, a Mercedes-Benz was a luxury car, but many wealthy people owned them, so it wasn't too eye-catching. It was almost a standard vehicle for the rich; you could easily spot one out of every ten cars on the street.
As for the Rolls-Royce, it was too conspicuous. No matter where it was driven, it would always attract the most attention.
Speaking honestly, Lin Haoran never intended to marry Guan Jiahui. His interest in her was purely driven by her beauty and the fame she would gain in the future. She was not suitable to be his wife, but as a lover, she was quite appealing.
In his previous life, although Lin Haoran had relationships, he had never properly dated anyone. So, when Guan Jiahui asked him out, he simply decided to accompany her like an ordinary couple, going shopping to make up for the regrets of his past life.
Today, the stock market was still open. Both Huanyu Investment Company and Hong Kong Electric Group were continuing to absorb stocks, but these tasks were left to his subordinates. After the market closed or on the next working day, they would naturally report the results. Lin Haoran didn't need to get involved in the process.
There were no other pressing matters requiring his attention at the moment.
Tomorrow was Chinese New Year's Eve. In Hong Kong, it wasn't a public holiday, and coincidentally, New Year's Eve fell on a Friday, meaning the stock market would still be open as usual.
According to Guan Jiahui, her father had gone off to celebrate the holiday with some woman and definitely wouldn't be coming home tonight, which was why she dared to come out openly.
Although Lin Haoran was a well-known figure, he was still young. His appearances in newspapers and on television were always in formal attire.
When he went out casually, dressed in ordinary clothes, sporting a different hairstyle and wearing glasses, it was hard for anyone who didn't know him well to recognize him.
"Where do you want to go?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile as he sat next to Guan Jiahui in the Mercedes.
"I want to go to Mong Kok. It's been a long time since I shopped there," Guan Jiahui said with an expectant look in her eyes.
"Alright, then let's go to Mong Kok," Lin Haoran agreed without hesitation.
The Mercedes started and headed toward the bustling streets of Mong Kok.
Located at the northern end of Nathan Road, Mong Kok was one of Kowloon's earliest developed areas, most famous for its typhoon shelters and temples.
It retained many traces of the old days. It wasn't hard to find old bakeries, shrine shops, and mahjong parlors in the alleys. Most businesses were small operations, and the area still had some of Hong Kong's oldest streets. Exploring on foot was the best way to experience its hidden charms.
The atmosphere of Mong Kok was vastly different from the modern glitz of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Lin Haoran remembered that last year, when he first pursued Guan Jiahui, they had come shopping here. He had bought her a pair of Roger Vivier shoes, and with a few sweet words, successfully wooed the future famous actress.
A year had passed in the blink of an eye. She was still the same person, yet she had matured and become even more charming.
Mong Kok was the most crowded area in Hong Kong, a favorite shopping destination for local Chinese. Many shops and restaurants operated 24 hours a day. The area was bustling and densely packed with banks, commercial buildings, and small, exquisite shops.
Though it lacked the high-end feel of Central, Wan Chai, and Tsim Sha Tsui, its affordability made it popular with young people.
Ordinary young people, when thinking about shopping, didn't first consider Central or Causeway Bay; they thought of bustling Mong Kok.
However, because of the high population density, Mong Kok also had a strong presence of triad societies, with many gangs establishing their headquarters here. Among them, the 13K triad had the greatest influence.
As an international city influenced by trends and cultures from around the world, Hong Kong had a complex and ever-changing social environment. Social order and law enforcement were often chaotic.
Although the establishment of the ICAC had weakened the collusion between gangs and the police, and many underworld figures like Crippled Ho and the Ma brothers had been taken down, many gangs still thrived.
Groups like 13K, New Yi On, and Hop Sing still wielded considerable power, some claiming tens of thousands of members.
However, these gangs clearly understood who could be provoked and who could not.
Thus, they rarely touched the wealthy elite, which explained why, despite Hong Kong's chaotic environment, no triad dared to mess with a wealthy scion like Lin Haoran.
Of course, there were always exceptions. Ruthless criminals like Cheung Tze-keung, Yip Kai-foon, and Kwai Ping-hung didn't care about status. As long as there was money to be made, kidnapping tycoons was business as usual for them.
In the evening, after a sumptuous Sichuan meal at a restaurant, Lin Haoran and Guan Jiahui continued strolling through the bustling streets of Mong Kok.
Coming from an ordinary background in his previous life, Lin Haoran felt no aversion to shopping in such humble commercial districts. Instead, he found it quite interesting.
Even though he had rapidly accumulated wealth after transmigrating, it had only been just over a year.
In his heart, he still maintained the mindset of an ordinary person and didn't feel these places were beneath him.
Unknowingly, they arrived at Temple Street. Night had fallen, and the famous street had transformed into a brightly lit and lively night market, with hundreds of stalls selling clothes, electronics, watches, and other affordable goods.
Today, Guan Jiahui had taken special care to dress up before meeting Lin Haoran for Valentine's Day. She wore a pure white dress and the Roger Vivier shoes he had previously bought her. Her skirt swayed lightly with her steps, making her look like a freshly bloomed lily—beautiful and alluring.
At some point, they wandered into Tung Choi Street.
Like any young girl in love, Guan Jiahui clung to Lin Haoran's large hand, her face radiant like a blooming peach blossom. Her skin was fair and delicate, seemingly ready to blush at a mere touch, and she wore an expression of pure happiness.
Tung Choi Street had an unusual name, which came from the fact that the area was originally farmland where water spinach was cultivated.
With Mong Kok's development, the farmland disappeared, replaced by commercial and residential buildings. But the street's name remained.
At every stall, Guan Jiahui would pull Lin Haoran to stop and carefully browse for anything interesting.
In truth, despite walking for a long time, their hands remained empty. They hadn't bought anything.
The main reason wasn't that Lin Haoran looked down on the cheap goods, but that Guan Jiahui's purpose wasn't to shop—it was simply to be with Lin Haoran.
For Lin Haoran, if he were to give something to Guan Jiahui, it would naturally be from a high-end brand. Most of the time, you get what you pay for, and now that he was a super-rich man worth several billion, there was no need to save money on such things.
Today, Li Weidong and Li Weiguo were dressed in ordinary casual clothes instead of their usual suits. This was Lin Haoran's specific instruction—to avoid drawing too much attention.
Now that he was the Chairman of Hong Kong Electric Group, if someone recognized him, there was a high chance that the paparazzi scattered across Hong Kong would photograph him. If that happened, Lin Haoran being seen shopping with a girl would certainly become troublesome.
Therefore, the best strategy was to blend in normally, avoid being too eye-catching, and naturally prevent people from recognizing the famous business tycoon.
As they continued walking, they passed by a large jewelry store. Guan Jiahui's eyes naturally lingered on the dazzling display of gold and jewelry for a moment, revealing a slight look of longing.
However, she quickly looked away and continued walking alongside Lin Haoran.
Guan Jiahui was very clear about Lin Haoran's current status—he was the renowned Chairman of Hong Kong Electric Group.
Far from making her feel proud, it actually made her feel a little inferior. She understood all too well that the gap between them was now enormous.
In the past, when Lin Haoran was just the son of Lin Wanan and hadn't yet become the chairman of a company, although there was a gap, the Lin family was just a minor wealthy family—not yet completely out of reach.
At that time, Guan Jiahui thought that if she could marry into the Lin family and become a wealthy wife, that would be a pretty good future.
But now, the gap was simply insurmountable.
Could she really become a wealthy wife to someone like Lin Haoran?
Therefore, facing Lin Haoran today, Guan Jiahui felt inferior and didn't dare make any requests, fearing he might abandon her at any moment.
Just as she was about to pull Lin Haoran along past the jewelry store, Lin Haoran grabbed her hand.
"We've been walking around for a long time and haven't bought anything. It's Valentine's Day, after all—you can't leave empty-handed. Let me buy you a gold necklace. No refusals!" Lin Haoran said with a smile.
Hearing his words, Guan Jiahui, who had originally intended to decline, no longer protested and obediently followed Lin Haoran into the jewelry store.
Lin Haoran glanced over the jewelry in the display case and directly pointed to a rather expensive gold chain, saying to the saleswoman, "This one, wrap it up for me!"
The saleswoman, who had just gotten ready to introduce some more affordable jewelry to this young couple, was completely stunned by Lin Haoran's directness.
"Please wait a moment, sir. I'll pack it up right away," she said, quickly taking out the necklace and placing it in an exquisite gift box, afraid Lin Haoran would change his mind.
Lin Haoran said nothing more and simply paid for it directly.
From entering the store to completing the purchase, it took less than two minutes.
"Here, take it. It's your Valentine's Day gift," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
"Thank you, I love it," Guan Jiahui said, her heart filled with joy.
"Let's go, it's getting late. Time to head back," Lin Haoran said, glancing at his watch. It was already past nine o'clock.
"Okay," Guan Jiahui answered sweetly, walking hand-in-hand with Lin Haoran out of the jewelry store.
Their car was parked just a few hundred meters away, so they simply walked back.
Lin Haoran and Guan Jiahui walked ahead like an ordinary couple, holding hands.
Meanwhile, Li Weidong and Li Weiguo followed behind at a distance, blending in like ordinary pedestrians, ready to protect their boss if necessary.
The crowd had thinned somewhat compared to seven or eight o'clock. Even though tomorrow was New Year's Eve, it was still a working day, so many people had gone home. Only couples like Lin Haoran and Guan Jiahui continued strolling hand in hand.
After walking about a hundred meters, Li Weidong, ever alert, sensed something was wrong. He whispered to Li Weiguo, "Someone's following the boss."
Using the corner of his eye, Li Weiguo quickly confirmed that they were being tailed by at least five or six individuals.
These men were heavily tattooed and looked every bit the gangsters they appeared to be.
The two brothers quickly closed the distance to Lin Haoran and quietly reported the situation.
Lin Haoran frowned slightly. He had taken Guan Jiahui shopping a few times before but had never encountered such an incident.
Looking at Guan Jiahui's hand, he immediately understood the cause.
She was carrying a bag from a famous jewelry store, which had likely attracted unwanted attention.
Usually, Lin Haoran dressed in a way that clearly marked him as a wealthy figure, and with Li Weiguo and Li Weidong suited up behind him, they were easily identified as bodyguards. No triad members dared to mess with him under such circumstances.
But tonight, to avoid standing out, they had dressed like ordinary people. Naturally, no one recognized them, and Li Weidong and Li Weiguo didn't look like bodyguards either—just regular companions.
This low-profile appearance had reduced attention but also made them easier targets for petty thugs.
"Can you handle them?" Lin Haoran asked the two calmly, smiling slightly.
He knew how strong the Li brothers were—they had easily taken down Lin Yi before.
As long as no guns were involved, there was nothing to worry about.
"Boss, don't worry. If it's just these guys, I can handle them all myself," Li Weidong said confidently.
These were just small-time gangsters trying to rob ordinary citizens. Even if they were triad members, they weren't high-ranking and would be easy to deal with.
"Good. If they make a move, leave them to you. Weiguo, stay close to protect me and Jiahui," Lin Haoran instructed.
"Understood, boss!"
Though they were discussing tactics, they continued walking naturally toward their parking spot.
The thugs following them realized they had been noticed and no longer bothered hiding their intentions.
They quickly surrounded Lin Haoran and his group—six young men in total, ranging from their twenties to thirties.
"Hey, pretty girl, you're looking good tonight. How about keeping us company for a while?" the leader said, leering at Guan Jiahui.
(This chapter ends.)
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