Chapter 485: Better to Face the King of Hell's Wrath Than Block Haoran's Path by a Mere Third
Just as Ma Shimin had heard, Jardines Matheson held a farewell ceremony that day before the media of all Hong Kong.
Notable figures like Mr. Shen Bi from Hui Fung Bank, Mr. Swire from Swire Pacific, Mr. John Madden from Wheelock & Co., and Mr. Lawrence Kadoorie from China Light and Power attended the event.
What was surprising, however, was that no prominent Chinese business leaders showed up — not even Governor Murray MacLehose attended.
It was clear that either Jardines Matheson hadn't invited these individuals or, even if invited, many would have chosen not to attend, such as Governor MacLehose himself.
As for Lin Haoran, the man seen as Jardines Matheson's ultimate nemesis, of course, he wasn't invited.
Not that Lin Haoran cared — he had no interest in attending their farewell party anyway.
Ever since Jardines Matheson had tried to retaliate against him, Lin Haoran had completely lost any sense of goodwill toward them.
Even a clay Bodhisattva would have a temper, let alone a living man.
Their departure from Hong Kong, to him, was simply the disappearance of a rival — nothing more.
Rumor had it that at the farewell ceremony, Henry Keswick extensively praised Jardines Matheson's contributions to Hong Kong, portraying their departure as an irreparable loss for the city.
Meanwhile, some voices indirectly blamed Lin Haoran as the "sinner" who had driven them away.
But Lin Haoran was already used to Jardines Matheson's style.
He didn't care at all.
No matter how much mud they slung, it wouldn't change his towering status in Hong Kong's business world.
The complete withdrawal of Jardines Matheson reignited heated discussions across Hong Kong.
Founded in 1832, Jardines Matheson had 149 years of history.
Although it was initially established in Guangzhou, its true dominance came in Hong Kong.
It had played a pivotal role in Hong Kong's early development, earning the phrase "Jardines existed before Hong Kong did."
They were builders of Hong Kong's economic and commercial foundations, key drivers of infrastructure, and champions of urbanization.
As a symbol of capitalist expansion, Jardines Matheson had helped globalize and modernize Hong Kong.
Yet it also embodied colonial exploitation — monopolizing resources, exacerbating inequality, and profiting from the notorious opium trade.
Their collapse felt like a sudden storm sweeping through the business world, stirring emotions everywhere.
Those who had grown under Jardines' shadow or maintained ties with them sighed deeply.
The stories of Jardines leading Hong Kong's rise to prosperity still echoed in many elders' minds — but now, all of it was past.
For younger generations, Jardines' departure symbolized the end of an era.
It marked the complete decline of British-backed conglomerates and the final rise of Chinese enterprises.
Some mourned the ruthlessness of business competition, while others saw hope in the emergence of new forces.
Thus, for older Hong Kongers, feelings about Jardines Matheson were deeply complicated.
At their peak, Jardines had been woven into the fabric of daily life.
Now, in just under three years, this towering giant had collapsed, falling from its once-lofty heights.
First, they lost Wharf Holdings, suffering severe damage.
Then came the loss of Land Corporation and most of their core Hong Kong businesses.
Now, even Jardines Matheson Securities had been destroyed.
It was impossible not to feel a twinge of emotion witnessing it all.
Moreover, apart from Wharf Holdings, all their subsequent defeats were tied to Lin Haoran.
Even regarding Wharf Holdings, Lin Haoran had played a behind-the-scenes role — secretly acquiring shares and selling them to Bao Yugang at the crucial moment, strengthening Bao's advantage.
Without Lin Haoran's intervention, even if Bao had eventually won, it would have taken until mid-1980, not early 1979.
Thus, a popular saying arose among Hong Kong's citizens:
"Better to face seven parts of the King of Hell's wrath than to block three parts of Haoran's path."
Time quickly passed, and it was now January 20th.
That morning, as Lin Haoran got out of bed, he immediately noticed the air felt much colder compared to the previous day.
Stretching, he pulled on a jacket and walked to the calendar on the wall — today was Major Cold, the last solar term of winter.
Switching on the radio, he heard the announcer reporting that the Siberian cold wave had reached Hong Kong today.
Just yesterday morning, temperatures had been near 20 degrees Celsius, but by this morning they had plummeted to around 10 degrees.
The sudden drop was very noticeable.
Stepping out onto the terrace, Lin Haoran could feel the biting north wind howling and the gloomy sky overhead.
Most villas in Mid-Levels and The Peak, including those along Shixun Road, were north-facing — designed to showcase the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour, their main selling point.
It had been several days since Jardines Matheson officially withdrew from Hong Kong.
They left behind only a small subsidiary to manage their remaining local assets.
The senior management had already relocated to London.
Over time, the few remaining Jardines properties in Hong Kong would gradually fade from public attention.
Their former glory would soon be little more than an occasional memory.
Of course, as the saying goes, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse.
Despite losing most of their Hong Kong empire, Jardines Matheson still had more than 70% of their assets overseas.
They remained a formidable international player — no wonder the Rothschild family had taken an interest.
Even without their Hong Kong businesses, Jardines Matheson was still a force to be reckoned with globally.
Meanwhile, reports about them dwindled across the newspapers.
The media had covered their entire history from founding to downfall.
There wasn't much left to dig up that could still capture the public's attention.
Setting down the newspaper, Lin Haoran wiped his mouth with a napkin, brushing off a few crumbs from his sandwich.
He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the grey sky, lost in thought.
At that moment, a telephone rang from the study downstairs.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Lin Haoran hurried over and picked up the receiver.
"Hello, this is Lin Haoran."
"Boss, it's me," came Ma Shimin's voice.
"I wanted to inform you that the Japanese investment team you requested has been assembled.
It includes 68 top talents from real estate and securities.
They're all enthusiastic about accompanying you to Japan to expand Land Corporation's territory.
Everyone is ready to depart at your command!"
"So fast? You didn't just round up random people, did you?" Lin Haoran joked.
"Rest assured, Boss! I handpicked the best.
Since this Japan venture could bring immense benefits to Land Corporation, I naturally treated it with utmost seriousness," Ma Shimin promised.
Although Lin Haoran rarely involved himself directly in company management, his reputation in Hong Kong had reached astonishing heights.
From eighty-year-olds to three-year-olds, everyone knew of Lin Haoran — the young entrepreneur who had risen to dominate Hong Kong's business scene in just two short years.
Thus, it wasn't surprising that Ma Shimin could quickly assemble a strong team for him.
In truth, Lin Haoran had been planning to target Japan even before he acquired Land Corporation.
After all, the essence of business was making money — and Japan would offer endless opportunities for the next decade.
He couldn't possibly miss it.
Originally, he had considered letting Ma Shimin handle the Japan expansion.
However, given Land Corporation's current critical phase — integrating so many of Jardines Matheson's former assets — it was obvious that Ma Shimin couldn't leave Hong Kong for long.
Thus, from the beginning, Lin Haoran had never seriously intended to send Ma Shimin.
This brilliant manager needed to stay and oversee headquarters operations.
Plus, with the Japanese Foreign Minister's personal invitation, Lin Haoran decided he would go himself.
After all, the real work would be done by his team.
He would just provide leadership and vision.
"Alright, I'll come over shortly!" Lin Haoran said.
"However," Ma added, "I haven't yet selected which senior manager should accompany you to assist with the investments.
I think it's better for you to decide that personally."
"No problem. We'll discuss it when I get there. Thanks for your hard work," Lin Haoran replied warmly.
"It's my honor, Boss!"
After hanging up, Lin Haoran went upstairs, changed clothes, and then casually headed out.
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