From Inheriting a Small Factory to Becoming a Global Financial Tycoon

Chapter 26 Dad, You Actually Invested in a Movie?

Lin Haoran's experience obtaining this loan was undoubtedly much smoother compared to his earlier dealings with Yumin Finance Company. This time, not only did he come with collateral of equivalent value, but he also demonstrated thorough planning and preparation, leaving Ho Sin Hang almost no flaws to question when assessing the risk. As a result, the entire loan process proceeded exceptionally smoothly, and the funds were transferred far faster than Lin Haoran had expected.

Before leaving, Lin Haoran once again earnestly asked Ho Sin Hang to keep the matter confidential, especially from his father, Lin Wanan. Ho Sin Hang solemnly promised he fully understood and respected Lin Haoran's wishes and would not reveal a word of the transaction to anyone, including Lin Wanan. In that moment, the mutual understanding and trust between the two deepened even further.

Seated in the Mercedes-Benz, Lin Haoran leisurely instructed Li Weiguo to drive back to the Deep Water Bay villa, eager to return to that serene and comfortable home to enjoy a pleasant weekend holiday. Li Weiguo, serving as his driver, had already become familiar with the route to Deep Water Bay and, without needing Lin Haoran to say much, steadily steered the vehicle through the arteries of the city.

Along the way, Lin Haoran's attention was not captured by the passing scenery. Instead, his thoughts were immersed in planning the movement of his funds. Originally, he had about 10.07 million Hong Kong dollars available, and with the newly secured 30 million loan, his usable funds now totaled around 40.07 million Hong Kong dollars, providing solid support for his upcoming investment plans.

He calculated that with more than 40 million dollars, it would be sufficient to simultaneously invest in both Wharf Holdings and Green Island Cement. Especially for Wharf Holdings, where he had already invested over 8 million, he planned to cap his overall investment at around 30 million. He understood that with market fluctuations, especially with titans like Bao Yugang, Jardine Matheson, and The Hongkong Land Company entering the scene, Wharf's stock price would inevitably rise. Therefore, he had already set a strict upper limit to avoid the risks of blindly chasing higher prices.

In his view, if he could seize around 30 million Hong Kong dollars worth of low-priced Wharf Holdings stock in this capital game, it would already be an impressive achievement. His longer-term vision was to double this investment through the upcoming battles over Wharf Holdings. If successful, he would easily manage the loan repayment to Yumin Finance Company due in a year and might even optimize his funding structure ahead of time.

As for the remaining funds, Lin Haoran had a clear plan: continue to increase his holdings in Green Island Cement. His current 12.9% stake was still not enough to fully control the company. The looming possibility of Cheung Kong Holdings making a move only heightened his sense of urgency. To gain the upper hand in future competition, he had to keep increasing his ownership to ensure he held the dominant position in Green Island Cement.

Thus, he had already earmarked the remaining funds for further investment in Green Island Cement, determined to carve out a larger slice of the capital feast where Chinese enterprises were steadily swallowing up British companies. Returning home, Lin Haoran was surprised to find that his father, Lin Wanan, had come back early.

"Dad, why are you home so early today?" Lin Haoran asked curiously. Normally, if Lin Wanan didn't have business dinners, he would arrive around 7 PM. If he had engagements, it could be past 9 PM or even later. Yet now, the clock on the wall showed only 5:30 PM—an unusually early hour for him.

Such an anomaly naturally piqued Lin Haoran's curiosity and sparked many guesses in his mind.

"I have a movie celebration banquet tonight, starting at seven. I came home early to change into something more formal. Haoran, why don't you come along? Meeting more business friends can only benefit your future," Lin Wanan answered warmly.

"A movie celebration banquet? Dad, you invested in a movie?" Lin Haoran asked in surprise, clearly not expecting this.

"Haha, just a small casual investment. I put in 200,000 Hong Kong dollars under my own name for a 30% shareholding. The movie has been out for a month now, and the box office has exceeded 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars. Not a huge profit, but mainly to support some old friends and have a bit of fun," Lin Wanan explained with a laugh, his words filled with warmth for his old friends and a relaxed attitude towards the investment.

Indeed, what Lin Wanan said was true. A box office revenue of 2.5 million might not seem like much, but for this era, it was already quite respectable. According to industry norms, 15% would go to entertainment taxes, 47% to theater chains, and the investors would typically take less than 40% of the box office revenue. Even assuming a full 40%, that would mean about 1 million Hong Kong dollars left. Given his 30% stake, Lin Wanan would end up with around 300,000 Hong Kong dollars.

Investing 200,000 to earn 100,000 in profit might look impressive in terms of return rate, but considering the relatively small box office base, the gains were modest when set against the scale of production and operation costs. Small-budget films could indeed break through thanks to strong word-of-mouth and creativity, but behind every success story were countless forgotten films that failed and lost money in the competitive market.

Moreover, the Hong Kong movie market was relatively small, greatly limiting the profit potential of film projects. For example, the top box office movie of the year barely crossed 7 million Hong Kong dollars—a harsh reality for anyone dreaming of getting rich through filmmaking. Even industry giants like Shaw Brothers Studio and Golden Harvest, despite their strong resources, often found their annual profits modest.

Since his rebirth into this world, Lin Haoran had understood this reality clearly. He had no intention of pouring too much energy into the treacherous waters of the entertainment industry. In his view, the stock market's volatility, real estate's steady appreciation, the prosperity of import-export trade, and the solid foundations of manufacturing were the real avenues to climb the peak of wealth.

As for making movies? That was nothing more than a diversion, an occasional glittering sideshow, capable of earning brief applause and cheers, but never sufficient to fulfill his grand ambitions for a commercial empire.

"Alright, Dad, I'll go change into something appropriate and join you later. This celebration banquet sounds interesting; I'd like to experience it too," Lin Haoran said with growing interest.

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