Chapter 419 Unexpected Surprise
After becoming a shareholder of Microsoft, Lin Haoran decided to stay in New York for two more days before flying to California.
Everything he needed to do in New York had been accomplished.
Apple had successfully gone public, and he had successfully sold his shares afterward.
Now, he had also, very fortunately, become a major shareholder in Microsoft.
Meanwhile, Universal Investment Company's operations in the U.S. had stabilized significantly.
He believed that soon he would silently own sizable stakes in several high-potential companies, becoming a true hidden powerhouse behind the scenes.
At noon the next day, Lin Haoran visited Universal Investment Company's office.
Su Zhixue reported on the company's latest progress in acquiring shares of various corporations, including Walmart, Intel, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Citibank, Chevron, and others.
Although the pace was not fast, Lin Haoran was very satisfied.
Accumulating shares in these enterprises was a long-term effort; there was no need to rush.
The biggest surprise was the progress with Intel.
Unexpectedly, in just a few days, Universal Investment Company had already secretly acquired 3.5% of Intel's shares!
According to Su Zhixue, Intel's stock wasn't particularly attractive at the moment.
Its price had been stagnant for years, occasionally even dipping lower.
Although Intel was a well-known brand in the U.S., retail investors weren't interested.
This presented the perfect opportunity for Universal Investment Company to accumulate shares.
High-tech investments were not always ideal — many companies in the field rose and fell quickly.
But Intel was different: it had weathered decades of market volatility and continued to grow stronger.
In fact, within a few years, Intel would rank among the world's top semiconductor companies and dominate the global market from 1991 to 2021, almost uninterrupted.
Lin Haoran also remembered reading that Intel had a history of high annual dividends — semiconductor manufacturing was solid, cash-heavy business.
Thus, investing in Intel wasn't just about capital gains; the dividends alone would yield handsome returns.
After hearing Su Zhixue's report, Lin Haoran encouraged him a few words and then left.
With Su Zhixue managing the U.S. branch, Lin Haoran felt at ease.
In New York, it was about time to prepare for departure.
Before leaving, Lin Haoran decided to visit Citibank and personally bid farewell to Chairman Walter Wriston.
Wriston had treated him well — even if, ultimately, it was still about business interests.
Still, compared to HSBC, Citibank's leadership showed him much more genuine respect.
Soon, Lin Haoran arrived at Citibank's headquarters.
The staff greeted him respectfully and led him directly to the elevators.
By now, Lin Haoran was a familiar figure here.
His appearances in newspapers and on television had made him famous; few staff members failed to recognize him.
In no time, he arrived at Walter Wriston's office.
Knocking on the door, he quickly received a response.
Opening the door personally, Wriston welcomed him warmly.
"Mr. Lin, it's an honor to have you visit. Please, come in."
Lin Haoran smiled and entered.
The office was spacious and elegantly decorated, adorned with oil paintings of New York's skyline.
Having visited several times before, Lin Haoran no longer found the office curious.
He said with a smile,
"Mr. Wriston, I'm here to personally say goodbye.
I've been in New York for over ten days now. I plan to head to California for some business, and afterward, return to Hong Kong.
As one of my most important partners in America, I thought it appropriate to bid you farewell personally.
I've always valued our cooperation — it's been both pleasant and fruitful.
I truly hope we'll have more opportunities to work together in the future."
Wriston looked slightly surprised.
"You're leaving New York already, Mr. Lin?"
Lin Haoran nodded lightly,
"My time here has been very rewarding.
Although it wasn't long, I accomplished many important things.
Staying too long wouldn't be appropriate.
However, I have gained a lot.
America is an excellent place for business, and I highly value the investment potential here.
I will definitely increase my investment in America in the future — and I'm confident Citibank will be a key partner in that."
Wriston smiled warmly,
"Mr. Lin, it has been our honor to work with such a visionary and capable entrepreneur.
No matter where you are, Citibank will always be your strongest supporter."
"Thank you, Mr. Wriston. I hope that if Citibank has any good investment opportunities in the future, you'll let me know.
After all, I owe much of my Apple investment success to you," Lin Haoran added.
Wriston's smile faltered slightly.
Clearly, missing out on investing in Apple remained a sore spot.
Originally, Apple had approached Citibank first — but they had passed on the opportunity.
Lin Haoran had seized it instead, making more than thirty times his investment in under a year.
This was something the Citibank executives deeply regretted.
Still, Wriston bore no grudge against Lin Haoran personally — it had been Citibank's own misjudgment.
In finance, opportunity and risk went hand in hand.
One missed opportunity could mean enormous losses.
All Citibank could do now was learn from the mistake and become even more cautious and sharp in the future.
"Speaking of investments, Mr. Lin," Wriston said thoughtfully, brushing aside his regret, "we do have a new financing opportunity. I wonder if you would be interested?"
Hearing this, Lin Haoran became curious.
"Please, Mr. Wriston, tell me more."
If it was an unknown or unpromising venture, he wouldn't bother.
But if it had potential, he would certainly consider it.
Private placements, after all, often yielded big gains — and were safer than slowly buying shares on the open market.
Wriston asked, "Have you heard of Walmart?"
"Yes," Lin Haoran replied. "Isn't Walmart a listed company? Are you saying the financing opportunity is with them?"
Internally, Lin Haoran felt a surge of excitement — what a pleasant surprise!
"Exactly," Wriston confirmed.
"Walmart recently announced a bold expansion plan.
Instead of raising funds publicly through the stock market — which might not succeed given their recent mediocre performance — they're seeking private financing from major financial groups."
Lin Haoran asked,
"Why isn't Citibank investing then?"
Wriston smiled.
"We assessed Walmart carefully.
Given that our funds primarily come from deposits, we must be extremely cautious.
After internal evaluation, the majority — about 80% — opposed investing in Walmart.
The consensus was that Walmart's aggressive expansion carried significant risks.
If they mismanaged their expansion, it could lead to heavy losses — even bankruptcy."
Hearing this, Lin Haoran nodded.
He understood.
But in his heart, he knew very clearly:
In the next two decades, Walmart would become the world's largest retailer and dominate the Fortune Global 500 list for years.
This was yet another golden opportunity placed right before him.
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