On the morning of Monday, April 10 (Los Angeles time), Lin BaoCheng received a call from Cheng YuFeng in Hong Kong.
Cheng reported on the emergency board meeting held that day, the events that unfolded, and the changes in both the stock and options markets.
"So, someone is stirring trouble," Lin BaoCheng concluded. He was certain some people believed he had failed in using Hutchison Whampoa's funds to invest in gold futures, and were now targeting him and the company.
Bob and other shareholders clearly wanted to dump their shares. Even the shorting in the market might be tied to them. Lin BaoCheng, of course, would never foolishly reveal the truth — he wasn't about to repay malice with kindness.
He praised Cheng YuFeng's handling of the situation and instructed him to remind all relevant personnel not to leak the truth about the gold futures investment.
To Lin, this was not just a challenge but also an opportunity — a chance to make a huge profit.
The problem was, he had no money at hand. His long positions in gold futures at Standard Chartered and Mitsubishi Bank were currently in loss; selling now would be foolish.
The Goldman Sachs financing, though not yet deployed into futures, was already locked by contract and could only be used in its designated account. That money couldn't be moved.
Galaxy Games still had some funds, but those were earmarked for developing the game console — and far too little for this operation.
So Lin told Cheng to monitor developments but take no action for now. Even if Hutchison's stock was pressured, they would wait until Lin returned to Hong Kong. However, if the truth leaked and Hutchison's stock surged, Cheng was to notify him immediately.
"Where can I get funds?" Lin pondered after hanging up.
In Hong Kong, he knew many wealthy people, but most were only acquaintances. Even Bao YuGang, with whom he had a better relationship, would never lend him hundreds of millions of HKD on short notice. Their ties weren't that deep.
That left banks. But borrowing from banks risked leaks. Even if people only learned he had taken a loan, if they discovered he used it to buy call options, the short sellers would retreat, and his profit opportunity would vanish. Bank loans also took time — days that could cost him the chance.
"Better to try him first!" Lin suddenly thought of someone and made up his mind.
He called Isabella, told her he would leave the U.S. for a while, and took from her a gift she had purchased on his behalf. He booked the next flight to Tokyo.
At around 10 a.m., he boarded the plane. By 9 p.m. he landed in Tokyo. But Tokyo was sixteen hours ahead of Los Angeles, so when he arrived it was already 1 p.m. on April 11.
"Chairman!" greeted MaoLi Haruko, who came to meet him.
"Haruko!" Lin embraced her, ignoring the travelers around them, and kissed her deeply.
Chen YaoXian and the bodyguards surrounded them, keeping watch.
After a while, they left the airport. Two cars arranged by Haruko were waiting outside, with drivers ready.
In the car, Lin asked: "Haruko, how did the meeting arrangement with Iwasaki FengLong go?"
Haruko replied: "I've already arranged it. The time is set for around two o'clock, at Bailong Commercial Company. Mr. Iwasaki has agreed."
"Excellent."
Time was tight, so Lin had contacted Haruko from Los Angeles, asking her to schedule the meeting precisely.
Lin intended to raise funds from Iwasaki FengLong. He had few wealthy acquaintances to choose from. If this failed, he would have no choice but to seek loans from Hong Kong banks.
At 2 p.m., Lin met Iwasaki at Bailong Commercial Company. Beforehand, he checked with Cheng in Hong Kong to confirm nothing had changed.
After a few polite exchanges, Lin got straight to the point: "Mr. Iwasaki, I asked to meet because I have a sure‑profit opportunity. But I lack funds. I need you to provide capital. Profits will be split fifty‑fifty. Would you be interested?"
"How much capital? How long until profit? How much profit? And what if there's a loss?" Iwasaki asked directly — four key questions.
"About 200 million USD. Whether we use all depends on circumstances. Profit within a month, not much longer. As for how much, I can only say not less than 100 million USD. I can't guarantee exact figures. As for losses — impossible. Once you agree, I'll explain the plan, and you'll see why it can't lose."
Lin answered each point.
"So, in about a month, I invest 200 million USD and earn roughly 50 million?" Iwasaki asked.
"Correct," Lin nodded. "If all goes smoothly, even more."
"Very well, I agree!" Iwasaki said after only brief thought. He would personally monitor the funds, so he wasn't worried about deception. Once he knew the plan, he could judge the risk himself.
With risk controlled, earning 50 million in a month from a 200 million investment was too good to refuse.
"Then, cooperation it is!" Lin smiled. He had expected Iwasaki would agree. In Iwasaki's place, he would too.
"Cooperation!" Iwasaki echoed.
They shook hands and smiled.
Though Lin regretted having to split profits, he had no choice. Iwasaki was providing the money. If Lin had funds himself, he would never have needed a partner.