The Lin Family Takes Care of the Banks (Continued)
"I'm short on money lately, and I might not have time to see you off. I guess you're not planning to resign." Song Tianyao took out an exquisite notebook from his pocket and pushed it in front of Shen Bi: "I prepared this for you after hearing from John Bao that you were reprimanded and sent to Sabah, Malaya. I asked some Chinese businessmen in the Teochew Chamber of Commerce to provide you with information on about a dozen Chinese businessmen in or around Sabah, hoping to help you increase your business in Sabah."
"How could you still be in the mood to do something like this after finding out you couldn't borrow the money, Song? Didn't you say you urgently needed a sum of money?" Michael Sandberg picked up the notebook, flipped through it, and said to Michael Sandberg in surprise.
In Michael Sandberg's eyes, Song Tianyao was an impeccable client and friend. Besides business dealings, they would also get together as friends from time to time, play golf, and attend concerts. Most importantly, Song Tianyao never made things difficult for Michael Sandberg. For example, when applying for loans, he would not violate any regulations and would handle the procedures normally. Although Michael Sandberg could use the rules to give Song Tianyao the green light for some troublesome and trivial matters, Song Tianyao did not need to. In the business world, he would not leave any loopholes that might embarrass his friends.
Even though she now seemed to have no use for him and had ruined a loan he desperately needed, he could still sit calmly in front of her and tell her to have a safe journey and that he had prepared a small gift that she might need.
"I urgently need some money, but as I just said, money can be borrowed anywhere, but friends aren't always readily available." Song Tianyao took a sip of his coffee. "I was already mentally prepared that I wouldn't be able to borrow from HSBC for the time being, so there was no need to be too disappointed after hearing the news. Besides HSBC, I also had people go to banks like Bank of East Asia, Hang Seng, Standard Chartered, CNY Bank, Guangxing, and Wing On Bank—banks that can lend large sums of money—to inquire about the situation. Guess what I found out?"
Michael Sandberg's eyes widened slightly, and he said incredulously, "Could it be...?"
"That's right, the Lin Family has already been contacted."
"What are these banks thinking?" The agitation that had plagued him when Michael Sandberg to Morse seemed to be resurfacing.
His biggest disappointment today wasn't the failed loan from HSBC for Song Tianyao, but rather that Morse hadn't managed the bank according to the most basic principles of a banker. In Michael Sandberg's view, a bank should be neutral, valuing the client's future development and creditworthiness, rather than prioritizing whether the client was High-Class Chinese or Britain. Hong Kong is no longer the Hong Kong of pre -World War II; now Hong Kong is flowing in like a tidal wave. To act according to the old colonial rules is tantamount to shutting that money out.
Moreover, even in the most basic comparison, Song Tianyao is more worthy of attention than the Lin Family. Song Tianyao's wig business is currently flush with cash, has stable orders, and most importantly, he controls the entire wig production process: raw materials, machinery, consumables, products, orders, and sales. Song Tianyao has almost absolute power in this industry. Other wig factories can at most be considered as processing for Song Tianyao and earning processing fees.
The Lin Family did indeed accumulate a large amount of land and property in their early years. However, Lin Family primarily leased out these properties. So, while they appeared to own a vast amount of land and property, their cash flow was actually slow. As for the undeveloped or semi-developed land, construction was slow or indefinitely delayed. Why? Because the Lin Family themselves lacked confidence in the real estate market and diversified their investments across other industries. Perhaps one day, the Lin Family will become well-known landowners in Hong Kong due to the soaring prices of their accumulated land. But who knows how long that day will take? If Mainland China were to militarily retake Hong Kong and confiscate all their properties, the current members of the Lin Family might be executed by the People's People's Liberation Army for their past opium trafficking.
No matter how much Song Tianyao and the Lin Family fight, it has nothing to do with HSBC, which lent money to both of them. If Song Tianyao loses and can't repay the money, HSBC will take over his assets. If the Lin Family loses and can't repay the money, HSBC will take over the Lin Family's land. If both sides repay the money on time, that would be even better, as HSBC can collect interest steadily.
Such a simple matter was thwarted by the issue of colonial class. Michael Sandberg believed that Morse was clearly trying to spite China. The successive closures of HSBC branches in more than a dozen cities in Mainland China fueled Morse's strong hostility towards the China person.
"Don't get agitated. The Lin Family has connections, and so do I. They made the first move, so they can't blame me for making things difficult for them." Song Tianyao smiled at Michael Sandberg, "I still want to thank you for your efforts."
Before Michael Sandberg could speak, Chu Xiaoxin rushed in from outside. Seeing Song Tianyao sitting with a Foreign Devil drinking coffee, the Second Young Master Chu walked over and sat down next to Song Tianyao. Ignoring the Foreign Devil's presence, he immediately asked:
"I've received word that you're going to fight the Lin Family?"
"I thought you were here to pick me up to see Mr. Lu." Song Tianyao smiled at Chu Xiaoxin, while Michael Sandberg, sitting opposite him, had already put away his notebook and stood up. "Song, I'll go first."
Song Tianyao stood up and shook hands with Michael Sandberg: "Okay, you can call me if you have any questions. In Malaya, your hard-earned Chinese will be useful, because the Malaya natives don't know how to do business, and most of the business China person."
Even after Michael Sandberg left, Chu Xiaoxin continued to stare at Song Tianyao.
"Big Brother, how did you know?" Song Tianyao asked Chu Xiaoxin.
Chu Xiaoxin rarely wore a serious expression. "The Cai Family informed my Dad, and my Dad told me that you don't know your place. The Lin Family are big landowners, rooted in Hong Kong for three generations. How can you compete with them with your little money? Knowing that you're always betting your life savings, you must be trying to win big with a small investment, so the Lin Family has already contacted all the banks and even called the Cai Family. My Dad asked me to take you to see him."
"Of course I want to see Chairman Chu, but I need to see Mr. Lu first. What did the Lin Family say to the Cai Family?" Song Tianyao picked up his coffee and took a sip.
"The Lu Family is only famous; their assets can't compare to the Lin Family. You're mistaken if you're trying to borrow money from the Lu Family. Lin Xiaosen from the Lin Family called Cai Wenbai with a very arrogant tone, as if he had Song Tianyao completely under his thumb. However, he didn't call my Dad, otherwise Dad probably wouldn't be so angry." Chu Xiaoxin scratched his head, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Hey, go see my Dad. Have him talk to the Lin Family and clear things up for you, and resolve this matter."