Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

Lou Bancheng moved from the inland to Hong Kong in the second half of 1958. He successfully established a solid foundation in Hong Kong by selling off-road vehicles and trucks from the Red Star Machinery Manufacturing Plant. Subsequently, he followed the trend and opened a leather shoe factory, a clothing factory and a toy factory, further consolidating his position in Hong Kong. However, as time went on, Lou Bancheng gradually realized the limitations of the toy market, where competition was too fierce and profit margins were limited. So he resolutely decided to transform the toy factory into an electronics factory, and quickly achieved success. After that, Lou Bancheng opened three new factories, including a plastic factory, a hardware factory and an electrical appliance factory.

As the business continued to expand, Lou Bancheng's relationship with the bank became closer and closer. Since the initial loan was small and Lou Bancheng had just come to Hong Kong from the mainland, he did not have enough assets to mortgage. Therefore, when he applied for credit support from those large Western banks, these banks rejected his credit needs without hesitation after understanding his situation. Among them, the attitudes of Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC were particularly bad, especially when the white people in the bank received Lou Bancheng, their arrogant and condescending attitude made Lou Bancheng very annoyed.

After being rejected by a Western-backed bank, Lou Bancheng didn't know what to do, so he specially invited Lin Guowei, who came to Hong Kong in 35, to a banquet. After three rounds of drinks, Lou Bancheng said, "Brother Lin, I have encountered a difficult problem recently. I would like to ask Brother Lin for some advice!"

Hearing this, Lin Guowei felt a little curious. After all, Lou Bancheng was a well-known figure, and he actually needed help from others. After all, based on his understanding of Lou Bancheng, Lou Bancheng's wealth was much richer than his.

"What could have troubled you like this, Brother Lou?" Lin Guowei asked with concern, looking at Lou Bancheng who had a worried look on his face.

Lou Bancheng sighed and said with a wry smile, "Hey, Brother Lin, I recently went to several Western banks to try to get a loan, but was rejected by all of them."

Lin Guowei frowned and asked in confusion: "Brother Lou, with your identity and status, how is it possible that you can't even get a loan?" Lin Guowei knew Lou Bancheng's situation. Although Lou Bancheng had just come to Hong Kong from the mainland, in terms of family background, even ten of him could compare to Lou Bancheng.

Lou Bancheng shook his head helplessly and said, "Those white bank staff looked down on me simply because I was Chinese. They didn't even want to listen to my explanation and simply sent me away. Brother Lin, you don't know how bad the attitude of those white bank staff was at that time. I still feel angry when I think about it now!"

Lin Guowei couldn't help but feel angry after hearing this. However, he persuaded him, "Brother Lou, you have been in Hong Kong for too short a time. Not to mention the white people in the bank, even the random white people on the street look down on us Chinese. After all, in their eyes, Hong Kong is just a small colony managed by John Bull, and how can we, the residents of the colony, be looked up to by others!"

Lou Bancheng nodded and said, "Brother Lin, I understand what you said, but I really can't swallow this anger. I feel uncomfortable if I don't say it out loud. I hope Brother Lin can forgive me."

"It's okay, Brother Lou. I've been through the same thing as you. I was just like you when I first arrived in Hong Kong." Lin Guowei said with a smile, "By the way, Brother Lou, you said you wanted a loan. I remember your car company's business was very good! Why did you want a loan for no reason?"

"To be honest, Brother Lin, I am planning to apply for a loan to open a few factories. Unfortunately, I don't have enough funds at the moment, so I want to find a bank to borrow some money. Unfortunately, I didn't expect those Western banks to look down on me."

Lin Guowei said: "Brother Lou, this situation is actually very common. In Hong Kong, although we Chinese make up the majority of the population, in the financial world, Westerners still have the final say. They tend to prefer cooperating with Westerners rather than us Chinese." "However, Brother Lou, since Western banks have turned you away, why don't you try a bank opened by Chinese in Hong Kong!" Lin Yifeng asked with a smile.

Lou Bancheng was immediately alerted when he heard this, and asked quickly: "Brother Lin, I just arrived in Hong Kong, so I am not very familiar with the situation here. However, as far as I know, banks opened by Chinese are either small in scale or require collateral. I just arrived in Hong Kong, and my car company has just been opened for a short time. Will they be willing to lend me money?"

Lin Yifeng waved his hand and said with a smile: "Brother Lou, I met Lingnan merchants at a cocktail party before. I heard them talking about a bank opened by local Chinese in Hong Kong. This bank is called Hengsheng Bank. When they lend money to Lingnan merchants, they are not as strict as Western banks. They do not require the company's balance sheet, but conduct a background check on the boss. As long as the boss's background meets their requirements, they will agree to grant credit. Brother Lou, you actually know what a bank does, right?"

Lou Bancheng's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Isn't a silver house a bank? It's just called differently. But is there really such a bank as you mentioned, Brother Lin? But I'm not from Lingnan. Will they lend me money?"

Lin Yifeng nodded and said with a smile: "Brother Lou, you will know if it works if you try it, but whether it will be successful depends on their evaluation of you. However, you can first understand their loan policies and requirements and make full preparations."

Lou Bancheng looked at Lin Yifeng gratefully and said, "Thank you, Brother Lin, for reminding me. I will find out as soon as possible. If I can successfully get the loan, it will really solve my big problem."

Lin Yifeng smiled and said, "You're welcome. We are all friends, and it's only natural for us to help each other. I hope you can get the loan smoothly and your business will get better and better."

"I would like to take advantage of Brother Lin's good wishes and wish Brother Lin's business to prosper and make a fortune." Lou Bancheng said while holding up his wine glass.

The next morning, the sun shone through the curtains onto the bed. Lou Bancheng woke up early and felt particularly happy. He quickly washed up and asked the driver to drive to a five-story building at 163-165 Queen's Road Central in Central, Hong Kong. The building was magnificent, with a striking Hang Seng Bank sign hanging outside, shining with golden light, which was particularly eye-catching.

Lou Bancheng stared at the sign with a determined look, and a feeling of confidence and expectation surged in his heart. He strode into the building without hesitation. As soon as he entered the lobby of Heng Seng Bank, a staff member came up to him with a warm smile on his face and asked politely, "Hello, sir! What business do you intend to handle?"

Lou Bancheng was very satisfied with the service attitude of the staff of Hang Seng Bank. He smiled and replied, "I plan to borrow some money from your bank."

The staff member was slightly stunned, but then regained her composure and said with a smile: "Sir, please wait a moment. The credit business needs to be handled by our bank's senior staff." After that, she led Lou Bancheng to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor.

The elevator slowly ascended, Lou Bancheng was calm and confident. He knew that the next interview would determine whether he could successfully obtain a loan. When the elevator door opened, they arrived at the Hang Seng Bank's credit department on the third floor. The environment here was elegant and the decoration was very exquisite, giving people a professional and comfortable feeling. Lou Bancheng followed the staff to the door of an office, knocked gently, and a gentle voice came from inside: "Come in."