In Hong Kong, we build a global business empire

Chapter 1004 The Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant Project: I'm Definitely Going to Invest!

After Minister Liang left, Lin Haoran returned to his office and sat down on the sofa.

An assistant came in and gave him a fresh cup of hot tea, then respectfully withdrew.

Lin Haoran was now sitting with his legs crossed, deep in thought.

The last time he went to the mainland was in September 1981, which is a year and a half ago.

That time, he finalized matters such as the renovation of Wangfujing in Beijing and the development of Pudong New Area in Shanghai, and gained a lot.

After that, he never went to the mainland again.

It's definitely time to go to the mainland for a visit.

I should take this opportunity to properly inspect the industries in the mainland.

As for the United States, he can communicate by phone if anything happens, so there's no rush to go there again.

Things are back on track at MGM Studios. Ivan Fuller is capable of stabilizing the situation, and Cameron's Terminator is progressing as planned. All that's left is to wait for time to tell.

Although the six major giants are still targeting MGM Studios with various means, their tricks are nothing new to Lin Haoran.

After employing three major strategies—the war of public opinion, the war of talent, and the war of distribution—MGM did not collapse; instead, they were exhausted.

He doesn't need to keep an eye on it every day; an occasional phone call to check on the progress is enough.

As for Marvel, Citibank had already reached an agreement for him five days ago.

The final agreed acquisition price was $36.58 million, for which Marvel Entertainment Group would acquire 100% of the company.

This price was much lower than the originally expected fifty million US dollars, and Lin Haoran was naturally very satisfied.

Following the successful acquisition, Marvel Entertainment Group was officially incorporated into MGM Studios, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Studios.

Ivan Fuller has now taken over Marvel Entertainment Group on behalf of MGM Studios.

In the future, all Marvel IPs—Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, X-Men, Punisher, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Ant-Man…

These IPs all belong to MGM Studios. Thinking of this, Lin Haoran couldn't help but smile slightly.

He bought the entire Marvel Universe for over 36 million US dollars. To outsiders, this deal seemed crazy, but to him, it was an incredible bargain.

In its previous life, when Marvel was acquired by Disney, the price was over four billion US dollars, more than a hundred times higher.

Now, he has acquired the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with just a fraction of the investment, and not just the rights to a few characters, but the entire company, all IPs, and all copyrights.

This means that the future Marvel Cinematic Universe will be MGM's property from the very beginning, without having to deal with copyright disputes, lawsuits, and other issues like Disney did in its previous days.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down.

Then he stood up and went to the iconic round glass window of the Kang Le Building.

Through the glass window, not far away, a skyscraper rises from the ground, far surpassing the surrounding buildings.

That building, planned to be the world's tallest at 500 meters, is already nearly 400 meters high.

According to the plan, the building would be completed in seven months, in September 1983.

By then, this building will not only be a new landmark in Hong Kong, but also a new height for the entire world.

Every time Lin Haoran sees this building, he feels an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

This is not just a building; it is a symbol of his career, a testament to his journey from nothing to something, from small to large, and from Hong Kong to the world.

He withdrew his gaze, turned around, and strode out of the office, calling out to Li Weidong and Li Weiguo.

After going downstairs and getting into the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, Lin Haoran said directly to Li Weidong in the driver's seat, "Go to Kennedy Tunnel."

"Yes, boss!" Li Weidong replied smartly, starting the engine and slowly driving away from the Kang Le Building.

As Lin Haoran's longest-serving bodyguard, Li Weidong naturally understood where Lin Haoran was going to Kennedy Road, as the headquarters of Hong Kong Electric Group was located in Kennedy Road in the Central and Western District.

The car traveled west along Queen's Road Central, passing through the bustling streets of Central, and turned into Kennedy Road.

This road is built along the mountainside, with the most expensive residential areas and office buildings in Hong Kong on both sides. The headquarters of Hong Kong Electric Group is located on the mountainside, in a white modern building.

When the security guard at the entrance to the underground parking garage saw the Rolls-Royce and the driver, Li Weidong, he knew the boss had arrived. He immediately opened the gate and saluted the vehicle.

Speaking of which, since acquiring Hongkong Land Group, Lin Haoran has been visiting the headquarters of Hongkong Electric Group less and less often.

It wasn't that he didn't value it, but rather that the Hong Kong Electric Group's business had always been very stable, and Chan Shu-lun managed the daily operations in an orderly manner, so he didn't need to worry about it at all.

After parking the car in the underground garage, Lin Haoran led Li Weidong and Li Weiguo up to the third floor via a private elevator and arrived at Chen Shulin's office.

Chen Shulin had already received the message from the security guards, so he arrived at the elevator entrance early to wait.

"Boss, what a rare guest! I didn't expect you to come to the company." Chen Shulin laughed heartily.

Although he is over sixty years old, Chan Shou-lun is still in high spirits. As the Hong Kong Electric Group grows larger and larger, his status in Hong Kong's business community, as the head of Hong Kong Electric, has also risen.

Moreover, with Hongkong Land, Huifeng and others successively withdrawing from the ranks of listed companies, Hong Kong Electric Group has long become the first listed company in Hong Kong, with a total market value approaching HK$30 billion.

Affected by the decline in the real estate industry, Hong Kong's stock market entered a bear market last year, with the Hang Seng Index falling to a low of over 600 points. This year can be described as one of the darkest years in the history of Hong Kong's stock market, with trading volume continuing to decline.

However, while many stocks were falling, the share price of Hong Kong Electric Holdings Limited (HK Electric) has been steadily rising, from around HK$230 billion at the beginning of last year to nearly HK$300 billion today.

The reason is that Hong Kong Electric Group not only has a very stable cash flow in Hong Kong, but also owns two major public utility businesses, Hong Kong Electric and Hong Kong and China Gas. Moreover, its expansion overseas and in mainland China has shown investors new growth points for this long-established power company.

Today, thanks to the Kwok family's connections in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong Electric Group's expansion in the region, while not entirely smooth sailing, has at least made a start.

Hong Kong Electric Group has a presence in power projects in several Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Some are joint ventures, some involve technology service provision, and some involve equipment supply.

These projects may not seem large individually, but together they form a network.

A power service network covering Southeast Asia.

Once this network is in place, Hong Kong Electric Group will no longer be just a power company in Hong Kong, but a regional power service provider.

Especially in Thailand, since 1979, it has become the Bangkok government's external power company through government bidding, building dams and reservoirs around Bangkok to generate electricity, and its development has been very successful.

In addition to these overseas expansions, there has been even more investment in the mainland.

With investments exceeding HK$2 billion in mainland China, including infrastructure, industrial parks, power plants, and the Wangfujing commercial redevelopment project, Hong Kong Electric Group has long since transformed from a simple power supply company into a diversified conglomerate giant.

Some of these investments have already yielded returns, while others are still in the investment phase. However, the direction is correct. The mainland is developing at an unprecedented speed, and the demand from all walks of life is increasing. Whoever makes the first move will be able to seize the opportunity.

Lin Haoran glanced at the 99 loyalty rating above Chen Shulin's head, just one step away from 100, and followed Chen Shulin into the office with satisfaction.

Located on the hillside of Kennedy Road, the Hong Kong Electric Group is a quiet oasis amidst the bustling Central district, where buildings are scarce and ordinary citizens rarely venture.

A corner of Victoria Harbour could be vaguely seen from the window, with cargo ships and ferries shuttling back and forth on the water, and the Kowloon Peninsula appearing and disappearing on the horizon in the distance. The two men sat facing each other, and Chen Shulin's assistant brought each of them a cup of hot tea before respectfully leaving the office.

Lin Haoran picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and took a sip.

The tea is freshly brewed Longjing, with a delicate fragrance and a sweet aftertaste.

He put down his teacup, leaned back on the sofa, and looked at Chen Shulin's face.

"Chairman Chen, what's the progress of the Lamma Island power station construction?"

The Lamma Island Power Station is one of the most important projects of the Hong Kong Electric Group today. Its purpose is to replace the Ap Lei Chau Power Station, which cannot meet the power generation needs. Construction officially started in September 1978, and more than four years have passed since then.

After acquiring Hong Kong Electric Holdings Limited, Lam Ho-yin had visited the company several times.

"Boss, the Lamma Island Power Station Phase 5 is currently progressing as usual. After the first unit went into operation last year, the second unit is expected to go into operation in May this year, and all three units in Phase 3 will be completed by March next year."

"At that time, the Lamma Island Power Station will have a generating capacity of 1,200 megawatts, which will be sufficient to meet the electricity growth needs of Hong Kong Island in the next few years." Chen Shulin reported this in detail directly to Lin Haoran.

Lin Haoran nodded. Hong Kong's economic development is inseparable from electricity, and as one of Hong Kong's two major electricity suppliers, Hong Kong Electric Group shoulders important social responsibilities.

The completion of the Lamma Island Power Station will greatly alleviate the power supply pressure in Hong Kong and provide a solid energy guarantee for Hong Kong's economic take-off.

However, he knew that even if all three phases of the Lamma Island power station were completed and put into operation in the future, it would not be able to keep up with the development speed of Hong Kong Island.

Hong Kong's economy is undergoing a structural transformation, shifting from a traditional trading port to a financial center, shipping center, and tourism center.

Office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and data centers are becoming increasingly common high-energy-consuming businesses, leading to an exponential increase in electricity demand.

Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and other areas are the core business districts of Hong Kong, which are home to the most skyscrapers, five-star hotels, shopping malls and financial institutions in the city.

Electricity and gas consumption in these areas is growing at a double-digit rate every year, and the expansion of the Lamma Island power station cannot keep up with the growth in demand.

This is one of the reasons why HK Electric's share price was able to rise against the market trend.

Everyone knows that the power shortage means that HK Electric's profits will only increase, not decrease.

In the future, as electricity from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant is transmitted to Hong Kong, the problem of insufficient power supply for the Hong Kong Electric Group will be completely resolved.

"Chairman Chen, as you probably guessed, I'm not here for this matter," Lin Haoran said with a smile.

Chen Shulin nodded, waiting for Lin Haoran to continue.

Every so often, he would report the company's situation to Lin Haoran by phone or in person at the Kang Le Building, which is why Lin Haoran usually didn't bother to come over.

The fact that the boss has come to the company headquarters in person clearly means he has something important to tell him.

"You know about the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant project, right?" Lin Haoran asked, taking a sip of hot tea.

"Of course I know. This is a nuclear power project in Shenzhen. As far as I know, CLP Power has been negotiating with the mainland about this project since 1979."

The Kadoorie family was very interested in the project, but they couldn't make a decision for several reasons: the investment was too large, the cycle too long, the technology too complex, and the risks too high. Despite negotiations over the past few years, there had been no substantial progress.

Lin Haoran told Chen Shulin everything about how Minister Liang had contacted him that day.

After listening to Lin Haoran's story, Chen Shulin remained silent for a moment.

He frowned slightly, clearly considering the pros and cons of the project quickly.

As the head of Hong Kong Electric Group, he has worked in the power industry for decades, handling all types of power projects, from local power plants in Hong Kong to power projects in Southeast Asia, from traditional thermal power generation to hydropower generation.

But nuclear power plants are a completely new field for Hong Kong.

It wasn't that he didn't understand nuclear power technology, but rather that the investment scale, construction period, technical difficulty, and safety requirements of nuclear power plants far exceeded any project he had handled before.

Currently, several countries across Asia are already using nuclear power plants, including Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, India, and others.

As the head of a large power group, Chen Shulin was well aware that nuclear power plants would eventually become the mainstream trend in global power generation.

However, there are still too many uncertainties in the mainland, so Chen Shulin still has concerns.

"Boss, what Minister Liang said is indeed true. There is a serious power shortage in the mainland. For example, our Hong Kong Electric Group has built six hydroelectric and thermal power plants in the Pearl River Delta and northern Guangdong in recent years. Although they have helped the power supply in Guangdong Province to some extent, they are far from enough."

Guangdong Province is a large province with a population of over 50 million, more than ten times that of Hong Kong. Moreover, due to the reform and opening up policy, the number of migrant workers from other provinces to Guangdong will only increase. With the rapid economic development, the demand for electricity is growing, making the construction of nuclear power plants an urgent matter.

However, even CLP Power is hesitant about the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant project. Are we really going to take over CLP Power's project with the mainland? This is a mega-project involving billions of dollars!

"Yes, I've already decided to involve HK Electric Group in this project. The reason I'm here is to have you prepare so that once the dates for the mainland consultations are set, you can come with me to Shenzhen. I want to expedite the recommendation of this project."

As you know, I own numerous businesses in both mainland China and Hong Kong, and electricity is the foundation of these businesses. If even the power supply cannot be resolved, it will definitely have a huge impact on my investments in mainland China.

In my view, with the continuous economic development of Hong Kong and the mainland, the demand for electricity will only increase. This is definitely a high-quality project. Since the Kadoorie family is hesitant, we will take the opportunity away from them.

"So, I'm definitely going to invest in the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant project!" Lin Haoran said with a smile.

He didn't say anything about the future Daya Bay nuclear power plant costing tens or hundreds of billions of yuan a year, because there was no need for that.

Chen Shulin had followed him for so long and knew that he always had a very accurate eye for projects.

"Since you've already made your decision, I'll naturally cooperate fully. Just let me know in advance, and I'll arrange the company work and then go to the mainland with you."

"Actually, with the increasing number of industries in the mainland, I've been going to Shenzhen or Guangzhou every one or two months these past few years, and I've also been to Beijing a few times, so I'm quite familiar with the situation in the mainland," Chen Shulin said with a smile, his tone carrying a sense of composure that came with familiarity.

Lin Haoran nodded.

He took out a document from his briefcase. This document was the preliminary planning scheme for the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant project that Minister Liang had brought to him. Although it was not particularly detailed, it was enough for Chen Shulin to have a basic understanding of the project.

"Take this document back and take a look. Have the technical and financial teams study it. Once the consultation date is set, we'll go to Shenzhen together. We need to sit down and have a proper talk with the Guangdong provincial government and CLP Power."

Chen Shulin took the documents, flipped through a few pages, frowned slightly, but said nothing, only nodded.

"Boss, I'll study it as soon as possible."

Lin Haoran picked up his teacup and took another sip. The tea was already a little cold, but he didn't care.

"Chairman Chen, you've worked in the power industry for decades and have seen many large projects. What do you think is the biggest risk of this project?"

Chen Shulin was silent for a moment, then said, "Technological risks, financing risks, and construction period risks are not the biggest problems. Technology can be introduced, financing can be obtained from banks, and construction period can be controlled. What really worries me is policy risk."

"Policy risks?" Lin Haoran raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Chen Shulin put down the documents, his tone becoming serious.

“Nuclear power projects are not ordinary infrastructure projects. They involve multiple aspects such as national security, energy strategy, and environmental protection. Problems in any one of these aspects may lead to the project's stagnation or even its abortion.”

Although the mainland is undergoing reform and opening up, no one can predict policy changes. The conditions we agree on today may change tomorrow. This is not directed at any particular person, but rather it is the general environment.

Our HK Electric Group has invested over HK$2 billion in the mainland. Over the years, we have encountered many troubles caused by policy changes, but fortunately, they were all small projects, and we could remedy the problems that arose.

But the Daya Bay project is too large, an investment of four billion US dollars. Even if we only invest one hundred million US dollars initially, if there are policy problems, it will still be a huge loss. (End of this chapter)