Chapter 492: Long-Term Investment of Billions of Dollars
"Mr. Lin, may I ask if your visit to Japan this time will involve investments?"
"Mr. Lin, what is your view on Japan's current economic situation?"
"Mr. Lin, it's said you have made substantial investments in the United States. In your opinion, which economy is better — Japan or the United States?"
After exchanging pleasantries with Mr. Tanaka and the others, the reporters couldn't wait to surround Lin Haoran and fire off questions.
Previously, Lin Haoran's activities in the United States — including cashing out after Apple's IPO — had quickly made headlines in Japan.
Thus, these media members knew well who Lin Haoran was.
Though his rise had been recent, Lin Haoran was already a world-renowned business figure.
While he wasn't quite at Bao Yugang's level yet, he was far from a minor player.
This reputation was built through his impressive maneuvers in Hong Kong and America.
Faced with the barrage of questions, Lin Haoran raised one hand slightly, signaling for calm.
His gaze was composed and confident, clearly at ease with the situation.
After all, in Hong Kong he had faced countless interviews; even in the U.S., he had been frequently interviewed.
"Thank you all for the warm welcome and your interest," Lin Haoran said fluently in English. He turned to a leading reporter and continued:
"First, I am deeply honored by the warm reception from the Japanese government and friends from all sectors.
The purpose of this visit is indeed exploratory — I came at the invitation of Mr. Tanaka, with a mindset open to cooperation.
Japan, as a major economic power, has achieved excellence in technology, manufacturing, and culture — all areas I greatly admire."
After a slight pause, he swept his gaze across the crowd and continued:
"As for investment, this is a decision that requires careful evaluation.
My team and I will spend the coming days closely examining Japan's market environment, policy support, and potential cooperation opportunities.
If we find the investment environment satisfactory, I plan to invest more than 10 billion Hong Kong dollars in the short term, and in the long term, even billions of U.S. dollars.
I believe, through deeper communication, we can discover opportunities for mutual benefit."
"After all, both Hong Kong and Japan are part of Asia's vibrant economic zone.
Shared development goals and an open market attitude are the foundations of our cooperation."
As for Japan's economy, Lin Haoran paused again, choosing his words carefully:
"Japan's economy has a solid foundation and unique strengths, especially in innovation, quality, and efficiency. It plays a vital role globally.
The United States, another economic giant, also has its own strengths.
It's hard to compare them directly — each country has its own development path and challenges.
The important thing is to adopt the right strategies according to their circumstances to promote growth and prosperity."
Long-term investments of billions of dollars?
His statement immediately caused a stir among the journalists.
That wasn't a trivial sum.
Japan's GDP last year had only been around one trillion U.S. dollars.
For Lin Haoran to claim he would invest over a billion U.S. dollars — it sounded almost exaggerated.
However, the businesses he controlled were indeed substantial.
Even Land Corporation alone had a market value of several billion U.S. dollars before privatization.
And Land Corporation was just one of many companies under his control.
He also held major stakes in Hong Kong Electric, Wanqing Group, China Gas, Kowloon Bus Company, and more — each carrying significant value.
Adding it all up, Lin Haoran's wealth was astonishing.
A young man holding such massive assets.
Calling him the richest man in Asia was not an exaggeration — even in Japan, there was no tycoon with comparable wealth.
Still, most reporters found it hard to believe that Lin Haoran could really pour billions into Japan.
They assumed he must be boasting.
But Lin Haoran didn't care whether they believed him.
In truth, even he didn't know exactly how much he would invest.
This time, he had only brought around 4 billion Hong Kong dollars.
Nevertheless, it was a massive sum.
If he wanted to reap a massive harvest from Japan's economy later, he first needed to plant enough seeds.
His goal for investing in Japan wasn't to help its economy flourish — it was purely to make money.
He wasn't aiming for something impossible like "empty-handed wealth," but investing to earn profits was entirely feasible.
Just like in his past life — during the 80s and 90s — Japan had heavily invested in China.
Japanese companies like Panasonic and Hitachi had set up joint ventures in China to manufacture cars, TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.
Later, investment expanded into textiles, groceries, food, electronics, and machinery.
They didn't invest out of goodwill; it was to profit from China's booming economy.
Similarly, Lin Haoran's investments in Japan were aimed at harvesting wealth — especially during Japan's economic bubble.
Of course, investment was a two-way street.
His investments would bring employment and some economic benefits to Japan —
though on a national scale, the impact would be modest.
Still, it was beneficial enough that the Japanese government valued him so highly.
The more he invested, the greater the potential returns.
Lin Haoran had no upper limit in mind.
His plan was to acquire as many Japanese assets as possible before the economic bubble burst.
When the collapse came, those assets would skyrocket in value.
Whether he could become the world's wealthiest invisible tycoon would largely depend on how much he harvested during Japan's bubble economy.
He was filled with anticipation!
After the brief interview, Mr. Tanaka personally escorted Lin Haoran from the airport in a government car.
That evening, a grand banquet was held.
Not only were Mr. Tanaka and JETRO President Mr. Kitayama present, along with Tokyo's Deputy Mayor Mr. Matsuda, but numerous Japanese business tycoons also attended.
The banquet hall sparkled under bright lights, and the atmosphere was lively and cordial.
Dressed in a custom-tailored dark suit, Lin Haoran displayed an elegant demeanor and remarkable business acumen, impressing every Japanese business leader present.
Japan's business community, already highly developed, was naturally cautious and somewhat resistant toward foreign entrepreneurs.
But with the government's endorsement, they treated Lin Haoran with due respect.
One by one, they expressed hopes for future cooperation with him.
It was a valuable opportunity for Lin Haoran to expand his network among Japan's corporate elite.
Not until after 9 p.m. did he, slightly tipsy, finally retire to the Tokyo Imperial Hotel.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Land Corporation team had already settled in.
Land Corporation had a minor presence in Japan even before —
thus, they already had an office here, which had arranged accommodations and logistics for the arriving staff.
These arrangements required no attention from Lin Haoran.
Over the next two days, under the Japanese government's arrangements, Lin Haoran conducted commercial inspections throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area.
On the third day, he was even received by the Prime Minister of Japan, holding a formal meeting.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Ho, Zhao Xin, and the rest of the employees were steadily settling into Tokyo, beginning preliminary groundwork.
While still in Hong Kong, Lin Haoran had discussed with Kenneth his general strategy for investing in Japan.
The primary focus was real estate —
especially in key cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
During an economic bubble, real estate offered the fastest and highest returns.
Of course, when dealing with Japanese officials, Lin Haoran wasn't foolish enough to say he would only invest in real estate.
He also planned investments in services, manufacturing, and other sectors.
Otherwise, his welcome wouldn't have been nearly so warm.
Land Corporation, armed with 4 billion Hong Kong dollars, had immense flexibility.
Although Japan was a populous country and Tokyo its capital,
in 1981 Hong Kong's housing prices were actually higher than Tokyo's.
Due to factors like economic conditions, population density, and land scarcity, Hong Kong had skyrocketing property prices —
especially in recent years, with prices tripling.
Tokyo, by contrast, still had plenty of land, and its economy hadn't yet overheated.
Thus, Tokyo's property prices, though high, remained affordable compared to Hong Kong.
This was the perfect window for Land Corporation to invest heavily in Japan.
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