Chapter 100: Arriving in Saudi Arabia
With Liu Luanzhong — this destined child of business — managing Aimco, and a financial controller Lin Haoran had assigned overseeing things, Lin Haoran didn't need to worry much about the company.
He simply had to sit back and wait for the profits to roll in.
After returning to Hengfeng Building from Aimco's Kwun Tong factory, Lin Haoran began researching Saudi Aramco.
If everything went according to plan, the HK$240 million loan should arrive before October 31st.
Once the funds were secured, he could immediately contact Saudi Aramco to begin negotiations.
Saudi Aramco's headquarters were located in a seemingly inconspicuous city — Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Since there were no direct flights from Hong Kong to Saudi Arabia, Lin Haoran's journey would involve multiple transfers:
First, flying from Hong Kong to Cairo, Egypt.
Then from Cairo to Doha, Qatar.
From Doha, he would take a boat to Dammam, Saudi Arabia — Dhahran being just next to Dammam.
The route was complicated, but Lin Haoran didn't mind — anything for a chance to make serious money.
He could have simply gone to Doha and contacted local oil companies there, since Qatar was also an oil-rich country.
But he preferred to play it safe.
Since Bao Yugang had personally connected him to Saudi Aramco, there was no reason to risk branching out —
one misstep could cost him HK$300 million, and there would be no one to blame but himself.
At Yumin Finance, the loan was practically guaranteed, but Lin Haoran remained cautious.
He would only set out once the funds had actually arrived.
Otherwise, if he reached the Middle East only to hear that the loan had fallen through, it would all be for nothing.
He still had about a month left to pull this off —
tight, but manageable.
Over the next two days, with little to do, Lin Haoran lived a simple routine:
either at Hengfeng Building or at Qingzhou Cement.
Before he knew it, it was October 31st.
At 9:00 a.m., the shrill ring of the phone woke him.
He glanced at the time, surprised it was already that late.
"Hello, this is Lin Haoran… What? The money has arrived?
Good, good! Thank you so much, Uncle Yang.
I'll prepare the HK$500,000 cash right away — see you at 10 a.m. at the usual place," Lin Haoran said energetically, immediately wide awake.
The call had been from Yang Changdao —
the HK$240 million loan had been successfully transferred into his account.
Hurriedly washing up and changing clothes, Lin Haoran took his bodyguards and left.
At Hui Fung Bank, he was once again personally greeted by senior client manager Huang Yulan.
Having VIP treatment made everything go faster.
In less than half an hour, Lin Haoran had verified the funds, converted HK$300 million into US$60 million, and withdrawn HK$500,000 in cash.
Converting to USD was essential —
Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia conducted large contracts in US dollars, especially given their close ties to the U.S.
After finishing at the bank, Lin Haoran went to the restaurant where he had previously met Yang Changdao.
In the same private room, he handed Yang the box of cash.
After a few polite words, he left directly.
This would probably be his last major dealing with Yumin Finance.
After two rounds of loans, Lin Haoran now owed Yumin Finance HK$350 million —
not including interest.
It was an enormous sum.
But with the upcoming oil crisis, he was confident he could turn that debt into an even larger fortune.
In the future, if he needed even bigger loans, he would rely on Hui Fung Bank and other formal channels instead.
With everything sorted, Lin Haoran called the airport to check on flights to Cairo.
By chance, there was an international flight leaving at 9:28 a.m. the next morning — November 1st.
Without hesitation, he booked four first-class tickets.
In addition to himself and his bodyguards, he would need an Arabic-speaking translator.
Although his English was good,
in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, Arabic was the dominant language.
Having a local translator would be a big help.
Finding one was easy.
Hong Kong was an international hub — talent from every nation could be found here.
Using his connections, Lin Haoran quickly located a suitable translator that very afternoon.
The translator, a Saudi named Kanu, was 24 years old —
a recent graduate from Hong Kong University who had decided to stay and work in Hong Kong.
The job offered good pay and flexibility —
perfect for him.
With all preparations complete, Lin Haoran was ready to depart.
He had informed Su Zhixue at Huanyu Investment and Burton at Qingzhou Cement about his trip.
If any problems arose, they were to either consult Lin Wanan or wait for his return.
That evening, Lin Haoran visited his parents' villa.
"Dad, Mom, I'll be leaving Hong Kong for a while," he said casually while watching TV with them.
"Which country?
Aren't you busy after acquiring Qingzhou Cement?"
Lin Wanan asked, surprised.
"I'm just heading to Egypt to relax.
I've been working too hard lately," Lin Haoran chuckled.
"Be careful, Haoran," his mother said with concern.
Neither parent objected —
traveling abroad wasn't unusual, especially given that Lin Haoran had previously spent four years studying in Britain.
"You're an adult now.
Just stay safe," Lin Wanan said.
"Don't worry, Dad, Mom.
I'll have Weiguo and Weidong with me — and I also hired a translator who speaks Arabic.
Everything will be fine," Lin Haoran reassured them.
In the blink of an eye, it was morning.
At 8:00 a.m. on November 1st, Lin Haoran set out with his bodyguards, picking up Kanu in Tsim Sha Tsui before heading to the airport.
Kanu explained that he came from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's second-largest city.
His family was well-off, but after studying in Hong Kong, he had grown fond of its freedom and decided to stay.
At 9:28 a.m., their flight lifted off from Kai Tak International Airport, soaring into the sky.
This was Lin Haoran's first trip abroad since his reincarnation —
he was filled with excitement.
The flight to Cairo wasn't full — only about half the seats were occupied.
Naturally, Lin Haoran had booked first-class tickets.
The long journey would be much more comfortable with reclining seats and extra space.
It was Li Weiguo and Li Weidong's first time flying —
they were full of wide-eyed wonder.
Lin Haoran had always treated them well,
and over time, their loyalty had risen to over 95.
Seventeen hours later, they arrived in Cairo.
After resting overnight, they departed again from Cairo International Airport, heading to Doha, Qatar —
a short three-hour flight.
In Doha, they quickly transferred to a ferry bound for Dammam, Saudi Arabia —
with Kanu's help navigating easily.
Finally, on the afternoon of November 3rd, they arrived at Dhahran —
the small city housing Saudi Aramco's headquarters.
Lin Haoran knew that time was of the essence.
He had kept a close eye on oil prices.
The latest international oil price was US$12.87 per barrel.
October and early November had seen slight increases, but nothing dramatic.
But Lin Haoran knew —
by December, once Iranian oil exports halted, the supply shortage would trigger a massive price spike.
Thus, he hadn't wasted time sightseeing during the trip.
He could enjoy himself later —
for now, he had a mission.
Dhahran, though small, had a vibrant hospitality industry thanks to Saudi Aramco's presence.
With Kanu's help, they checked into a hotel very close to the company's headquarters.
Most guests at the hotel were there for business with Saudi Aramco.
"Kanu, you've worked hard.
Take the next two days to rest," Lin Haoran told him after settling in.
At Saudi Aramco, everyone spoke English fluently —
no translator needed inside the company.
"Thank you, Mr. Lin," Kanu said gratefully.
He hadn't expected to return to his homeland so soon —
but he had no immediate plans to visit his family.
Entering his hotel room, Lin Haoran immediately used the phone to call the number Bao Yugang had given him —
the direct line to Saudi Aramco's president.
"Mr. Ahmed Zaki Yamani?
Hello, this is Lin Haoran.
Mr. Bao Yugang contacted you earlier on my behalf…
Yes, I'm already in Dhahran, staying nearby.
When would you be available for a meeting?
Tomorrow at 10 a.m.?
Perfect. I'll be there. Thank you very much."
Hanging up, Lin Haoran exhaled deeply.
This deal was finally within reach.
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