"Only HK$1.31 million in the company account?" Lin Haoran looked up and asked.
Of that amount, HK$1 million had been left to him by his father—meaning the cement factory had only earned HK$310,000 in the past two months.
"Yes, boss," Ms. Lin, the finance officer, replied. "When Chairman Lin handed over the Huafeng Cement Plant to you in early July, the account balance was HK$1 million. That amount has been untouched."
"In July, after expenses, we made a profit of HK$180,000. Production and sales were stable that month. But last month, several long-term clients stopped purchasing from us, which caused a sharp drop in revenue. Profit fell to just HK$130,000."
"The current report only includes data up to August, so the company account now stands at HK$1.31 million."
Ms. Lin spoke while organizing her paperwork.
A drop in profits from HK$180,000 to HK$130,000 in one month was a major decline.
"How much profit can we expect this month?" Lin Haoran asked again.
"At this rate, we'll be lucky to reach HK$100,000. More likely, it'll fall between HK$50,000 and HK$100,000. Boss, we can't go on like this. Before you took over, our average monthly profit was close to HK$200,000."
Ms. Lin looked worried, though she knew her role was limited to finances—she had no say in operations.
Lin Haoran nodded. He understood perfectly well why the company was in decline.
It wasn't due to mismanagement on his part—it was sabotage by his older brother, Lin Haoning.
He wasn't sure how Lin Haoning had managed to poach Huafeng's long-term clients, but he would find out soon enough.
His dear big brother had gone so far as to sabotage a business that used to bring in over HK$2 million a year—just to prevent him from succeeding in the family succession battle.
At this rate, Lin Haoning clearly wouldn't stop until the company was in ruins.
Lin Haoran now understood just how ruthless his brother could be.
"Ms. Lin, please transfer HK$1.2 million to my account. I need it. Leave the rest in the company as a reserve."
He set the financial report back on the desk and gave his instruction.
"Yes, boss. I'll prepare the withdrawal slip—please sign it."
Ms. Lin didn't question him. After all, the company now belonged to Lin Haoran. Taking money from it was his right.
He glanced at the slip and, seeing no issues, signed his name.
"I'll be heading back to the city for a while. Please keep an eye on things here. If anything comes up, page me."
In this era, mobile phones weren't common yet—but pagers were popular in upper-class circles in Hong Kong. As the son of a wealthy family, Lin Haoran naturally had one.
So if Ms. Lin needed to reach him, she could do so anytime.
"Don't worry, boss—I'll keep an eye on everything."
Lin Haoran left the office and headed downstairs.
From afar, he saw Lin San overseeing the loading of goods near the warehouse.
He walked over.
"Good morning, boss," Lin San and a few other workers greeted him.
"Lin San, where are Lin Yi and the others?"
"They're in the production workshop."
"Call Lin Yi, Lin Er, and Lin Si to the dorm. I need to talk to you all."
"Yes, boss. Please wait a moment."
Without lingering, Lin Haoran walked straight toward the dormitory area.
He had spotted a lucrative opportunity and was eager to return to the city.
Staying in the rural area of Yuen Long felt like a waste of time.
Even if Lin Haoning was up to something again, at worst the cement plant might lose tens of thousands.
But going back to the city meant the chance to make real money.
Soon, he arrived at the dorm of his two cousins, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong.
Yesterday, Lin Haoran had taken them around the area, which left the brothers thrilled.
Because the border patrol officers nearby knew of Lin Haoran's status, none of them questioned the identities of the two men—even if they were suspected of being illegal immigrants.
The dorm door was open. To Lin Haoran's surprise, the two brothers were doing push-ups.
"418… 419… 420… 421…" Li Weiguo was counting as he went.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized and very rhythmic. It was obvious they trained together regularly.
"Ah, young master! You're here." Li Weidong was the first to notice and paused.
Li Weiguo stopped as well and stood up.
"I didn't interrupt your training, did I?" Lin Haoran asked with a smile.
Judging by their muscular physiques, he could tell they were strong.
"No interruption, young master. Just doing some exercises to aid our recovery," said Li Weiguo.
"Looks like you've both recovered nicely. Great timing. I'm heading into the city today. I'll help you apply for Hong Kong ID cards—no more worries about getting checked," Lin Haoran said, satisfied.
It wouldn't take long, and having official IDs would keep them safe.
The brothers' faces lit up. In unison, they said, "Thank you, young master!"
At that moment, Lin Haoran noticed both of their loyalty scores had increased.
Li Weiguo – Loyalty: 84/100
Li Weidong – Loyalty: 89/100
Clearly, showing kindness to subordinates was an effective way to boost their loyalty.
"By the way, you mentioned your fighting skills were good. How good, exactly?" Lin Haoran asked.
Li Weiguo scratched his head confidently. "Young master, even if five or six strong men came at me, I could handle them with ease."
"Heh, I'm even better than my brother!" Li Weidong added proudly, thumping his chest. "Seven or eight at once? No problem!"
Li Weiguo didn't refute the claim, indirectly admitting Li Weidong was stronger.
That strong? Lin Haoran wasn't entirely convinced.
Just then, Lin Yi and the others arrived.
Suddenly, a thought struck Lin Haoran—why not let Lin Yi and his group test the brothers' skills directly? It would be the perfect way to gauge how good they really were.
Lin Haoran was well aware of Lin Yi and his group's capabilities.
Though often underestimated, they were excellent fighters—easily able to take on three to five average men. Their strength was no joke.
That's exactly why Lin Haoran's father had entrusted them with his son's safety.