Around four o'clock that afternoon.
Standard Chartered Bank.
When a transfer of US$19 million arrived from the United States into Hong Kong, the taipan (general manager) of Standard Chartered, Hor Yiu Wah, was immediately alerted — he had heard about it from the lobby manager.
The company Galaxy Games had already caught his attention more than half a month ago, when a first remittance of US$8.5 million had arrived from Japan. Hor had remembered the name after his subordinates reported it — after all, that single transfer was worth over HK$30 million.
For any company to have more than HK$30 million in annual transactions, it was already not a small player in Hong Kong. And since that was just one transfer, no bank would ignore such a client. Everyone wanted to retain a customer like that.
As the taipan of Standard Chartered, Hor simply noted down the company and instructed his managers to send the firm an invitation to the bank's next quarterly networking event — to build connections and maintain the relationship.
But before long, another massive transaction arrived — this time, US$19 million from America. One from Japan, one from the U.S. — it was clear the company was doing international business.
The two payments together exceeded HK$100 million. There was no way Hor could ignore this now. A client of that size had to be retained and provided with the best service possible.
With that in mind, Hor made a decision — but before acting, he ordered a thorough investigation of the company and its owner. Only by understanding them could the bank properly cater to their needs.
Once the funds arrived, Lin Baicheng (the owner) received notice from the bank — the contract with Phil Smith was now officially in effect.
Phil stayed in Hong Kong for only two days before flying back to Los Angeles.
During those two days, Lin personally hosted him, so he hadn't had time to handle other business. As soon as Phil left, Lin went straight to Standard Chartered Bank.
This time, Lin's visit wasn't just to transfer money to Bai Sheng Securities' company account — if that were all, his elder sister Lin Shufang could have done it.
After presenting his company documents and expressing his intent to apply for a loan, he first met with a branch manager — and then, surprisingly, with the taipan himself, Hor Yiu Wah, the head of Standard Chartered in Hong Kong.
In those days, the taipan of Standard Chartered, Hor Yiu Wah, was roughly equivalent in status to Shen Zhou of HSBC — but Standard Chartered wasn't as dominant in Hong Kong, and Hor's reputation was far less.
In fact, in his previous life, when Lin (then a web novelist writing entertainment stories) had looked up financial history, he could find information on Shen Zhou — but not a single mention of Hor Yiu Wah. That alone showed how obscure the man was.
"Mr. Lin!"
Lin was a bit surprised that the taipan himself would personally receive him.
"Mr. Lin, I didn't expect that you, a celebrated novelist, are not only a top writer but also a business prodigy. In just two months, your game company is thriving and making U.S. dollars hand over fist."
The night before, Hor had reviewed the report on Galaxy Games and its owner — and was shocked.
Who would've thought that a Form 5 graduate could build such wealth in just half a year?
In March, he'd started from writing novels. His "Storm Riders: The Conqueror of the World" became a sensation in Hong Kong, hailed as the best martial arts novel since Jin Yong's retirement. Selling the copyright alone earned him over HK$1 million.
He then used that capital — and likely some bank loans — to acquire an arcade factory, develop his own games, and start selling machines across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
The first big order came from Japan (US$8.5 million), the second from the U.S. (US$19 million).
Hor didn't know the exact production cost of Lin's arcade machines, but assuming a 20% profit margin, that meant at least HK$20–30 million in profit — all in just two months since the company started operations.
From a fresh graduate to a multi-millionaire in half a year — the title of business prodigy was hardly an exaggeration.
"Flattered, Mr. Hor," Lin replied modestly with a smile.
He wasn't being falsely humble — he truly believed that anyone reborn from 50 years in the future could have achieved the same results, maybe even more.
"Mr. Lin, you're too modest. At your age, to have built this fortune in half a year — how many people in the world can say that? Calling you a business genius is no overstatement."
Hor was even more impressed by Lin's humility. A young man with such achievements and yet so grounded — that was rare.
He was convinced that Lin Baicheng was no ordinary man, and that his future would be remarkable.
Lin decided there was no point in deflecting further.
"Mr. Hor, I actually came today to apply for a loan from Standard Chartered."
"No problem at all," Hor said immediately. "Mr. Lin coming to us for a loan is already an honor — it shows great trust in our bank."
Lin smiled. "In that case, may I ask — without providing any collateral, how much could I potentially borrow from your bank?"
Hor fell silent for a moment, weighing the question carefully.
If Lin offered company shares as collateral, Hor wouldn't hesitate to approve HK$100 million — but an unsecured loan was another matter.
If Lin's company went bankrupt during the loan period, Standard Chartered might not be able to recover much, if anything. The risk was significant.
Still, banking wasn't just about avoiding risk — it was about cultivating valuable clients.
Lin was already using Standard Chartered for international remittances, but that could change anytime. If the bank didn't show enough sincerity, Lin could easily switch to another.
That would be a big loss — and if Lin's business continued to grow, that loss would only become massive.
So Hor had to find the right balance — a loan large enough to show good faith, but still within the bank's acceptable risk level.