Chapter 234: Urging for Marriage
While the whole of Hong Kong was abuzz with heated discussions, Lin Haoran had already returned smoothly to his villa in Deep Water Bay. Seeing him back, Madam Lin was overjoyed. Naturally, Lin's parents had already heard the news of his acquisition of Kowloon Motor Bus. Madam Lin, in particular, felt an immense sense of pride for her son.
"Haoran, tell your dad — is your money really from Citibank? Is Citibank truly your powerful backer?" In the study, Lin Wan'an couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and finally asked. Although Lin Haoran had once mentioned he had earned a lot from oil and gold futures, the scale of these consecutive acquisitions was simply unbelievable. How could anyone earn tens of billions just from commodities?
Even the top tycoons of Hong Kong would find it hard to believe, and Lin's own father was no exception. Green Island Cement's privatization alone cost several hundred million. Acquiring 49.9% of Hongkong Electric must have required at least a billion. Buying Hong Kong and China Gas surely cost several hundred million more. And now Kowloon Motor Bus — that would be several hundred million too. Not to mention buying two large office buildings, costing another billion or more. Adding it all up, he had spent at least three to four billion HKD within little more than a year. Even someone as experienced as Lin Wan'an found the sum staggering.
Haoran glanced at his father's serious expression and felt somewhat speechless. He had already told his father the truth, but still, he didn't believe it. "That's right, all my money is from Citibank," Lin Haoran said with a smile, sticking to his "truth." Technically, the money was indeed sitting in Citibank accounts — it just happened to belong to him, not Citibank itself.
Maintaining this air of mystery wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, a young man so casually throwing around billions was hard for anyone to accept. Citibank's client confidentiality policies also helped maintain the secrecy surrounding his fortune. Even if Citibank publicly denied backing him, without knowing the full story, people would continue to speculate. This mystery only enhanced Lin Haoran's aura of power.
"I knew it! Haoran, did you sign some secret agreement with Citibank? Are these companies yours in name only while Citibank controls everything behind the scenes?" Lin Wan'an asked with a mix of relief and disappointment.
"Dad, let's leave it at that. Just know that I control these companies," Lin Haoran said, shaking his head helplessly.
"Alright, alright. Dad won't ask anymore," Lin Wan'an relented.
This past year had felt like a dream to him — so unreal.
"By the way, Dad, your complexion looks much better these days. It's a good thing you retired early. Your past illnesses were all due to overwork," Lin Haoran said, noticing the healthy glow on his father's face.
"I feel like I'm ten years younger. But honestly, life without work is a bit boring. I'm thinking of finding something to do," Lin Wan'an said.
Without the burden of managing Wanan Group, he had indeed relaxed, but boredom inevitably followed.
"What kind of work, Dad?" Lin Haoran asked, curious.
"Remember the film celebration party I took you to last year? I'm thinking of investing in movies with a few old friends — not to make money, just to have something to do," Lin Wan'an said.
At first, Lin Haoran wanted to advise against it — the film industry could be lucrative only for the few top blockbusters. Most movies barely made any profit. However, seeing that his father was treating it as a hobby rather than a serious business venture, Lin Haoran decided not to interfere. Money was no longer a concern for their family.
"Dad, how much money do you have left?" Lin Haoran asked.
"Why, Haoran, are you running low on funds? I already transferred most of my wealth to you and your brother. I've only got a few million HKD left. If you really need it, I can sell some properties and pull together about ten million," Lin Wan'an said earnestly.
Lin Haoran laughed. "No, Dad, I'm not short on money. I just wanted to know so that if you ever need funds, you can ask me."
After inheriting assets worth well over one or two hundred million from his father, Lin Haoran maintained deep respect and gratitude toward him.
"No need. Your mother and I don't spend much. Investing in small films won't require much capital," Lin Wan'an said, waving him off.
"Alright then. Just let me know if you need anything," Lin Haoran said.
At that moment, Madam Lin's voice called out from outside. "Dinner's ready! Come out and eat!"
"Alright, we're coming!" Lin Wan'an called back.
Glancing at the clock on the study wall, Lin Haoran saw it was already after six in the evening. Since his father retired, they had shifted their dinner time earlier, unlike the old days when dinner was usually after seven.
Tonight's dinner was lavish — a celebration for Lin Haoran's return. Madam Lin had specially ordered the housekeeper to buy extra dishes. Normally, when only the two elders were home, meals were much simpler.
"Haoran, eat more! This roast goose is from the same shop the Bao and Li families love," Madam Lin said affectionately, placing a large goose leg in his bowl.
"Mom, I'm not a guest. I can serve myself!" Lin Haoran said, both touched and exasperated.
"Look at you — you've lost weight again! You need to eat more meat," Madam Lin said dotingly.
"Mom, I haven't lost weight. I actually gained a few pounds," Lin Haoran replied helplessly.
Then Madam Lin suddenly changed the topic. "By the way, Haoran, what do you think of Miss Guo?"
"You mean Guo Xiaohan?" Lin Haoran asked, surprised.
"Yes, what do you think of her?" Madam Lin asked, a glint of meaning in her eyes.
"She's nice — good-looking and well-educated," Lin Haoran said after a moment's thought.
"Haoran, you're already of marriageable age. I think Miss Guo would be a perfect match. Our families are well-matched too," Madam Lin said meaningfully.
Ah, here it was again — the dreaded marriage talk.
Every time he returned to Deep Water Bay, Madam Lin would bring it up.
In this era, early marriage was common among working-class families. In the elite circles, however, it wasn't unusual to marry after thirty.
Lin Haoran had no urgency; he hadn't even begun to enjoy life properly yet.
"Mom, marriage is a serious matter. I don't want to rush into it," Lin Haoran said helplessly.
"Mr. Guo said their family approves, and Miss Guo herself is quite fond of you. If you agree, everything can be settled quickly," Lin Wan'an added.
Clearly, the Guo family hoped to strengthen ties with the Lin family through marriage.
Lin Haoran liked Guo Xiaohan well enough but not enough to talk about marriage. He fell silent, clearly reluctant to continue the conversation.
"Alright, it's your decision," Lin Wan'an said, seeing his son's mood.
After dinner, Lin Haoran sat on the terrace outside the attic, enjoying the sea breeze.
May in Hong Kong was already summer, with daytime temperatures reaching thirty degrees Celsius and nights staying pleasantly warm at around twenty-three or twenty-four degrees.
Listening to the waves and music from a nearby radio, he felt completely at ease.
Deep Water Bay's environment was very different from his Shixun Road villa; alternating between the two kept life feeling fresh.
In the blink of an eye, the night passed.
The next morning, after breakfast and reading the newspapers, Lin Haoran left the villa around ten o'clock.
He paid little attention to the public's discussions.
After all, every time he acquired a major company — Green Island Cement, Hongkong Electric, Hong Kong and China Gas — there had been a media frenzy.
Compared to the outcry after buying Hong Kong and China Gas, the reaction to Kowloon Motor Bus was much milder.
Back then, he had faced direct competition from Jardines Matheson, leading to a more dramatic public spectacle.
This time, the shock mainly stemmed from the suddenness of the takeover.
He figured the buzz would die down in two or three days.
Lin Haoran's Rolls-Royce pulled smoothly into Wanqing Tower's underground parking.
He headed upstairs to Burton's office, but Burton wasn't there.
An employee informed him that Burton had gone to Kowloon Motor Bus earlier to handle transition matters.
Lin Haoran wasn't surprised. After all, with the recent acquisition, Burton would naturally need to spend more time there to ensure everything ran smoothly.
Since Burton was absent, Lin Haoran took the elevator to Huanyu Investment instead.
There, he found Su Zhixue just returning from another office.
"Good morning, Boss," Su Zhixue greeted warmly.
"Morning. How's Kowloon Motor Bus's stock doing?" Lin Haoran asked, pulling up a chair.
"As we expected, Boss. It dropped sharply at the open, with heavy selling.
I suspect Eagle Group dumped their shares," Su Zhixue reported.
"After the initial dip, the price stabilized and even returned to last week's levels."
The steep fall wasn't surprising; it was almost certainly Eagle Group's doing.
Now that their takeover hopes had been dashed, they were eager to liquidate.
Lin Haoran simply smiled. Let them struggle — it had nothing to do with him now.
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