Chapter 277 Departure to the United Kingdom
"Haoran, I'll leave Xiaohan in your care during her time in the UK," Guo Henian said jokingly with a smile.
At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh internally: "Truly, a grown daughter can't be kept at home."
After all, Guo Xiaohan had been studying business management under him for quite some time, and Guo Henian knew her character like the back of his hand.
Normally, Guo Xiaohan displayed a strong, capable, and decisive personality—more like a female tycoon—handling business matters with precision and skill.
Even Guo Henian often praised her highly, having taught her nearly all his business experience.
Sometimes, Guo Henian regretted that she wasn't a man; otherwise, the Guo family would have gained another outstanding heir.
The Guo family's industries were vast across Southeast Asia, requiring many capable descendants to manage them.
But ultimately, she was a woman and would one day marry out.
The knowing smile on Guo Henian's face was so obvious that even Lin Haoran could tell he was deliberately creating private time for him and Guo Xiaohan.
The so-called business inspections and gaining experience were just excuses in Lin Haoran's eyes.
Given Guo Henian's stature in the business world, if he personally visited Britain, even the Prime Minister would meet him.
Normally, Guo Xiaohan wouldn't lack such opportunities. Clearly, this was just a way to arrange for her and Lin Haoran to spend time together.
Lin Haoran was somewhat surprised that Guo Henian was so proactive in matchmaking them.
After all, Guo Henian's status wasn't much lower than that of Bao Yugang—he was a true titan among tycoons.
However, Lin Haoran pretended not to notice.
He was naturally averse to political marriages.
But Guo Xiaohan was both talented and beautiful, which made Lin Haoran view her favorably.
Thus, he neither refused nor actively pursued her, adopting a "let things happen naturally" attitude.
Although Lin Haoran often admired the stunning actresses of his previous life, he had no intention of getting emotionally involved with them.
To be blunt, those actresses were not suitable as his official wife.
Just like the famous tycoon he knew in his past life—no matter how many starlets he had relationships with, he never truly gave his heart to any of them, knowing that most were after his wealth.
Lin Haoran thought similarly.
He didn't aspire to indulge as extravagantly, but occasional flings were fine.
After all, life was about enjoying oneself.
Having spent his past life as an ordinary man, now that he was a super-rich tycoon, it would be a waste to live this life too rigidly.
As for marrying a celebrity, that idea never crossed his mind.
But keeping a beautiful mistress somewhere seemed acceptable.
For instance, with Guan Jiahui, he never intended to marry her—just enjoying her youthful years was enough for him.
"Rest assured, Uncle Guo, I will definitely take good care of Miss Guo," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
The three of them chatted in the study for over an hour.
Throughout the conversation, Lin Haoran and Guo Henian spoke most of the time, while Guo Xiaohan mainly listened quietly, occasionally glancing shyly at Lin Haoran.
It was obvious that Miss Guo harbored a good deal of affection for him.
Around 8 PM, Lin Haoran saw them off at the villa entrance.
"Uncle Guo, Mrs. Guo, Miss Guo, take care on your way back. Should I have my bodyguards escort you?"
In fact, their homes were only a few hundred meters apart—not far at all.
"Don't worry. My bodyguards are quite capable, and the security around Mid-Levels and The Peak is excellent. There's really no danger," Guo Henian waved off the concern casually.
Indeed, The Peak was one of the areas most heavily patrolled by the Royal Hong Kong Police.
"Miss Guo, please come early tomorrow—preferably around eight o'clock. We mustn't delay.
As a junior, it wouldn't be proper for me to keep the senior business leaders waiting," Lin Haoran said to Guo Xiaohan with a smile.
The flight was scheduled to depart at ten in the morning.
It would take at least thirty to forty minutes to reach Kai Tak International Airport in Hung Hom during morning rush hour.
If an accident occurred in the Cross-Harbor Tunnel, delays could be even longer.
Thus, it was best to leave early to allow plenty of buffer time.
This time, the Hong Kong government had specially chartered a private plane for the business leaders.
Every participant was a major figure; taking a regular commercial flight would have been inappropriate.
There were plenty of seats available, so Lin Haoran bringing two bodyguards and Guo Xiaohan posed no issue, not even requiring prior registration.
Upon arrival at the airport, the Governor's office would handle the procedures.
Even if each tycoon brought three or four people, they wouldn't fill the plane, which could easily accommodate two or three hundred passengers.
Such was the privilege of the top elites—naturally, they operated differently from ordinary people.
"Mr. Lin, don't worry. I'll be here before eight," Guo Xiaohan promised with a sparkle in her eyes.
Watching the Guo family's Rolls-Royce disappear down the road, Lin Haoran finally returned inside.
Knowing he had to wake up early, he promptly washed up and went to bed.
Lin Haoran always slept well and woke up feeling refreshed.
He turned off the bedside lamp and glanced at the wall clock—it was about 7 AM.
After washing up, he changed into a well-fitted suit and called the young Filipina-Chinese maid to help tidy his outfit.
After all, traveling to Britain with top business elites demanded formal attire.
Normally, Lin Haoran preferred casual clothes and seldom wore suits unless attending formal occasions.
Standing before the mirror, he saw himself dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, the fabric hugging his tall frame and highlighting his strong build.
The texture and sheen of the suit subtly gleamed under the light, matching his reserved yet commanding presence.
The crisp white shirt and carefully selected tie complemented the suit perfectly—elegant without being flashy.
Lin Haoran's eyes shone with confidence, a mature charisma honed over time.
His sharp features were further accentuated by the suit, and his faint, composed smile gave him an irresistible charm.
"Young Master, you look even more handsome today than usual," the maid said, slightly starry-eyed.
Normally, Lin Haoran was very approachable at home, so the staff wasn't afraid of him.
"Am I not usually handsome?" Lin Haoran joked.
"Of course you are, Young Master—just even more so today!"
After getting dressed, Lin Haoran went downstairs to have breakfast.
His luggage had already been packed the day before.
Now he just had to wait for Guo Xiaohan's arrival to head to the airport together.
"Weidong, go upstairs and bring down my luggage. Then join me for breakfast," Lin Haoran instructed when he saw Li Weiguo and Li Weidong returning from their morning workout.
"Yes, Boss!" Li Weidong responded and quickly went upstairs.
"Boss, I'll take a quick shower first. We've already had breakfast earlier," Li Weiguo said respectfully.
"Alright, go ahead," Lin Haoran replied, checking the time—it wasn't even 7:30 yet, so there was no rush.
Soon, Li Weidong came down carrying Lin Haoran's luggage.
He hadn't packed much—just a few sets of clothes.
Other necessities would be arranged in the UK, so there was no need to carry toiletries or other supplies.
"Weidong, you should take a quick shower too.
Once we board the plane, it'll be over twenty hours before we reach London," Lin Haoran reminded him with a smile.
"That was exactly my plan, Boss," Li Weidong nodded.
Since Lin Haoran had brought their families over, the loyalty of the two brothers had reached an astonishing 100%, so Lin Haoran trusted them completely.
Twenty minutes later, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong reappeared, both now dressed in formal suits.
"You've informed your families, right?
This trip to the UK could last ten days or more," Lin Haoran asked as he finished his breakfast and read the newspaper.
"Yes, Boss, we've already told them," Li Weiguo replied.
At that moment, a servant entered to report, "Young Master, there's a car parked outside in our space."
Lin Haoran checked the clock—it was 7:55 AM.
It must be Guo Xiaohan.
He stood up and headed outside, with Li Weiguo and Li Weidong following.
Opening the villa door, he saw it was indeed Guo Xiaohan, stepping gracefully out of the car, while the driver helped unload two large suitcases.
It was only natural—unlike Lin Haoran, women traveling abroad usually carried much more, and this trip to Britain wasn't a short one.
"Good morning, Miss Guo," Lin Haoran greeted her with a smile.
Li Weidong and Li Weiguo had already moved forward to help with the luggage.
"Good morning, Mr. Lin," Guo Xiaohan responded with a sweet smile.
Perhaps because her uncle was not around, Guo Xiaohan seemed much more relaxed today, completely free from the restraint she had shown in previous encounters with Lin Haoran.
"Come inside and rest a bit before we head out. Have you had breakfast?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile as he led the way back inside.
"I've already eaten," Guo Xiaohan nodded slightly.
Lin Haoran brought Guo Xiaohan into the living room, while Li Weidong and Li Weiguo began loading the luggage into the cars.
With four people's luggage, it was obvious that the trunk of a single Rolls-Royce wouldn't be enough.
Therefore, for the trip to the airport, Li Weidong and Li Weiguo would each drive a car. If the trunk couldn't fit all the bags, they could also use the backseat of Lin Haoran's old Mercedes.
Lin Haoran planned to depart around 8:30 a.m. This way, even if traffic was bad, they would still likely arrive at Kai Tak International Airport before 9:30 a.m.
"Have you ever been to the UK, Miss Guo?" Lin Haoran asked curiously after they sat down.
"Mr. Lin, you can just call me Xiaohan. Calling me 'Miss Guo' sounds a bit too formal," Guo Xiaohan said proactively.
"Alright, we're all young people—no need to be so formal. I'll call you Xiaohan, and you can call me Haoran. Since I'm two years older, you can even call me Brother Haoran," Lin Haoran said with a laugh.
"Okay, Brother Haoran," Guo Xiaohan answered, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Obviously, for her, this was a very intimate form of address.
With the change in how they addressed each other, their relationship seemed to grow closer.
Unlike before, when she was always reserved in front of Lin Haoran, today Guo Xiaohan was much more talkative, often initiating conversations.
Through their chat, Lin Haoran gained a deeper understanding of this talented and beautiful young woman.
Guo Xiaohan had previously studied at Princeton University's Bendheim Center for Finance, returning to Southeast Asia last year to assist Guo Henian in managing their family businesses.
Lin Haoran was familiar with Princeton University—its reputation was on par with Harvard and Stanford.
The Bendheim Center for Finance was essentially Princeton's business school.
It was evident that Guo Xiaohan was exceptionally talented to have gained admission there.
Upon learning that Lin Haoran had graduated from the London Business School, Guo Xiaohan wasn't surprised.
In her view, for someone like Lin Haoran—who had achieved so much at such a young age—it didn't matter which school he had attended; he was clearly a genius.
Coming from a wealthy family, Guo Xiaohan had seen many so-called business prodigies since childhood.
But she knew none of them could compare to Lin Haoran.
After all, as her uncle had told her, Lin Haoran's current wealth was not inferior to the Guo family's.
And the Guo family's fortune had been built over decades.
Lin Haoran's father was merely an ordinary billionaire, and there were at least a hundred such tycoons in Hong Kong.
Thus, Lin Haoran's fortune had clearly been achieved through his own abilities, not inheritance.
As for his relationship with Citibank?
Guo Henian had his own theories.
Citibank had mainly focused its recent investments in Singapore, not Hong Kong.
Thus, Guo Henian believed that while Lin Haoran might have cooperated with Citibank, he was certainly no puppet.
Instead, his talents must have been so outstanding that even Citibank valued him highly.
This was why Guo Henian held Lin Haoran in such high regard.
Building connections with someone like Lin Haoran would only benefit the Guo family.
Moreover, Guo Henian had already decided to shift the Guo family's focus from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong.
Their development in Southeast Asia had hit a ceiling; now they needed new breakthroughs.
Investing heavily in Hong Kong was a critical move in that strategy.
As the conversation deepened, they naturally shifted to discussing business.
Guo Xiaohan shared her observations over the past year, having learned a lot from her uncle's network in Hong Kong.
Listening to her speak eloquently, Lin Haoran couldn't help but feel a sense of inferiority.
In terms of business acumen, Guo Xiaohan was clearly superior to him.
Lin Haoran's success largely relied on his unique advantage of foreknowledge from his past life.
Whether it was the Wharf battle, the oil crisis speculation, or the gold futures investment, his success depended on knowing future trends.
Without that knowledge, he might have remained an ordinary second-generation rich kid at best.
After a long while, Lin Haoran glanced at his watch—it was already 8:35 a.m.
"Let's go. It's time to head out," he said, standing up.
"Mm, Brother Haoran," Guo Xiaohan answered sweetly.
Thanks to their deep conversation, their relationship had clearly grown closer.
The two cars pulled out of the Lin family villa and headed toward Kai Tak International Airport.
As Lin Haoran had predicted, traffic was heavy.
It took over ten minutes just to get through the tollbooth before the Cross-Harbor Tunnel.
Even after passing through the tunnel, the roads weren't very smooth.
By around 9:20 a.m., the two cars finally arrived at the airport parking lot.
Today, everything had been arranged by Governor Murray MacLehose's office.
Upon arrival, they were promptly picked up and taken to the gathering point, with staff helping to handle their luggage.
Lin Haoran was escorted to an extremely luxurious lounge, where he met several prominent foreign businessmen.
Among them, the most familiar was Mr. Stuart Symington from Swire Group.
Bao Yugang and Li Jiacheng hadn't arrived yet—no surprise, since they lived farthest away in Deep Water Bay.
Even though he wasn't well acquainted with most of them, Lin Haoran quickly struck up conversations.
The lounge was filled with laughter and conversation, and Guo Xiaohan smoothly slipped into her assistant role.
By around 9:40 a.m., everyone had arrived—including Li Jiacheng, Bao Yugang, Shen Bi, and Nevil Jodrell.
"Mr. Lin, it's good to be young!" Shen Bi said with a meaningful smile, noticing Guo Xiaohan beside Lin Haoran.
Clearly, he had misunderstood, thinking Lin Haoran had brought a beautiful companion along for the trip.
"Mr. Shen, she's my assistant," Lin Haoran said with a chuckle, offering no further explanation.
Bao Yugang immediately recognized Guo Xiaohan, having met her previously during a visit to the Lin family's Deep Water Bay villa.
He couldn't help feeling a little sentimental:
"It's a pity... If only my daughters hadn't already married.
If one of them could have married Lin Haoran, I'd have found a perfect successor to my business empire," Bao Yugang thought.
He had no sons, only four daughters, all of whom had married into various families, creating complicated ties.
After checking everyone in, the trip coordinator respectfully announced, "Distinguished guests, it's time to board the plane."
Thus, about forty people made their way to the boarding gate.
Lin Haoran was among those bringing the most companions—most only brought one or two.
For example, Li Jiacheng brought his eldest son and a bodyguard.
Bao Yugang only brought a bodyguard.
His sons-in-law remained behind in Hong Kong to manage their businesses.
Several foreign tycoons traveled alone.
Thus, the total group didn't even reach forty people.
Once aboard, all the tycoons were seated in first class.
Guo Xiaohan was naturally seated beside Lin Haoran.
The bodyguards were placed in standard seating.
As the plane taxied, picked up speed, and lifted off, it broke through the clouds, heading straight toward the United Kingdom.
Looking out the window at the shrinking view of Hong Kong, Lin Haoran turned and glanced at Guo Xiaohan, who had already taken out a book to read.
He casually picked up a magazine and flipped through it.
Thus began his journey to Britain.
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