The Birth of the Hong Kong Island Family.

Chapter 168 [A Gentleman's Revenge]

"Mr. Cai, stop!" Hu Zhaoxu shouted to a person who had just walked out of the Catholic Church.

Cai Yongxi was a little stunned, because he didn't know Hu Zhaoxu, and after waking up, he asked, "You are?"

Hu Zhaoxu came to Cai Yongxi with a smile, and said sincerely: "Mr. Cai, I am the manager of a real estate company. My name is Hu Zhaoxu. This is my business card."

Cai Yongxi took the business card, looked at it for a while, and said politely: "So it's Manager Hu from Cheung Kong Industrial, so your boss must be Mr. Lin Zhichao!"

"Lin Sheng is our boss!"

Immediately, Cai Yongxi said suspiciously: "Then Manager Hu doesn't know what's called to stay?"

It is a little strange that he has no property to sell and no plans to buy a house.

Hu Zhaoxu had already inquired about Cai Yongxi. He was a member of the Spanish Catholic Church and had a close relationship with the priest. At the same time, Cai Yongxi was also a businessman, engaged in trade-related businesses.

In this way, Hu Zhaoxu analyzed that although Cai Yongxi is a believer, it is not that he has no desire for money.

"That's how it is. Your church is located at the Priest's Hotel opposite Kowloon Park. Our boss wants to acquire it to develop the hotel industry. Therefore, I would like to ask you to be an intermediary. If it works, we are willing to pay 3% of the remuneration."

When Cai Yongxi heard this, although he was moved by the generous commission, he immediately said: "Our priest is very good, why would he sell the hotel, not to mention, this hotel can bring a steady stream of funds for the church. So this matter, I am really serious. I can't help you guys!"

Hu Zhaoxu checked his words and found that Cai Yongxi was still interested in the commission, so he deliberately said: "That's okay, I should just get to know you. To be honest, our boss also thinks that there is no church to do business. Isn't it consistent with the teachings of Catholicism? Are you preaching, or are you a businessman? That’s why I was asked to ask, but we don’t insist.”

Cai Yongxi suddenly said with some embarrassment: "Actually, this hotel was not open to the public at first, and it mainly received priests from the mainland. So, let me inquire for you, and if the priest is interested, I will tell you."

Hu Zhaoxu immediately smiled and said: "Okay, then please trouble Mr. Cai, don't worry, we are very reputable, and it is valid at any time." The implication is that there is no need to worry about the commission.

Cai Yongxi said casually: "Mr. Lin has done such a big business, of course he enjoys a high reputation."

Even if things come into contact like this.

After the two left, Cai Yongxi became more active.He also felt that it was shameful for the church to run the hotel, and if he could really be a middleman, he could gain something from a generous commission.

But he also understands that if he asks the priest whether he sells the 'priest's hotel' for no reason, it may be easy to alienate him from the priest.

Cai Yongxi was thinking as he walked, and after a long time he finally grasped Hu Zhaoxu's words "operating a hotel and preaching spirituality", that is to say, as long as the headquarters knows about this, they will definitely be dissatisfied with the Hong Kong branch's business practices and order to sell it at that time Hope is great.

Thinking of these, he felt that he was a bit 'excessive' and plotted against his priest.

Soon Cai Yongxi shook his head and comforted himself: "The church's operation of the hotel industry is indeed outrageous, and it should be corrected."

However, he will definitely not report directly to the headquarters, only anonymously.

In late February, not long after the Lunar New Year.

Global Shipping built a 1.2-ton freighter in the UK, which caused a sensation in Hong Kong; even in London, it caused a great response.

There are three surprises in this news:
First, the Chinese shipowner from Hong Kong can actually spend 200 million US dollars to build a new ship;
Second, London sent senior officials at the vice-ministerial level (invited by the shipyard) to attend the signing ceremony, and then a senior official at the ministerial level received Lin Zhichao.

Third, 80% of the shipbuilding funds come from HSBC.

For a while, everyone in the Hong Kong business community knew that this was Lin Zhichao's counterattack against the major foreign companies, saying that you put pressure on the government, and I want your government to support me.At the same time, it is also interesting that HSBC gives loans, as if to say - we will not be threatened.

Wheelock Shipping.

After the old Madden heard the news, he called his son, the young Madden, and said, "I plan to return to London to sit in charge, and you will be in charge of the business in Hong Kong."

Little Ma Deng nodded, and said, "Okay, I will definitely live up to everyone's expectations." After speaking, there was a strong confidence in his eyes.

In this scene, Old Madden was a little worried. He used to be arrogant and conceited, but Lin Zhichao taught him a lesson with reality.Now, he worries that his son is still defiant, walking too fast and putting himself at risk.

Therefore, Old Madden said: "Eggs cannot be put in one basket, and we must always be wary of the opposite side. Hong Kong is too close to the opposite side. Jardine's loss of 3000 million pounds (4.8 million) a few years ago is the best It proves that making money can be done in Hong Kong, but the investment must not be all in Hong Kong.”

In the previous life, Wheelock and Jardine were of the same origin. They have been wary since the 50s and practiced 'make money in Hong Kong and invest overseas'.Because of this, it missed the opportunity of Hong Kong's rapid economic development, so its development was not as good as Taikoo and Hutchison Whampoa.

Little Madden said: "So I plan to continue to develop the shipping business. Ships are movable assets, so there is no need to worry about being lost in the Far East."

Old Madden didn't say anything about it. He planned to take command of the semi-retired situation in London. If there were any problems in Hong Kong, Wheelock would not be wiped out.

Then, Ma Deng said: "If you want to cooperate with Chinese, Lin Zhichao must be the first choice."

Little Madden asked puzzledly: "You don't have a good relationship with him. On the contrary, there are many conflicts. How can we still cooperate?"

Old Madden said with a smile: "Since it is a cooperation, it is of course based on interests. As for the personal relationship, Huayang is not in the same way after all. He and I are just a competitive relationship, not a life-and-death enmity. What is in front of you!"

Little Madden nodded and said: "His long-term rental theory is indeed very trustworthy by the bank; coupled with his relationship in the Japanese business community, it is even more conducive to the development of shipping."

After this campaign, Ma Deng felt that Lin Zhichao's development in shipping was impeccable.In fact, when these foreign firms were active in London, they did not get official confirmation, and it was more influenced by public opinion.

However, Lin Zhichao directly built ships in the UK, and received two ministerial interviews one after another, which strongly proved that London had no intention of interfering with those P matters.

And HSBC Bank's 80% loan for the new ship can also prove that the reputation of Global Shipping is better than everyone else.

Lin Zhichao returned to Hong Kong from the United Kingdom. During this trip, he spent 200 million US dollars to build a "talisman" - a [-]-ton freighter made in the United Kingdom.There is no problem with spending the money. At this time, Japan's shipbuilding industry can't reassure him, so if new ships are built, they can only be built in European countries such as Britain, France, and Germany.

At present, the UK currently builds about 120 million tons of ships a year, so a huge ship of [-] tons is not a small business.

Although the cost of this 1.2-ton freighter built in the UK is three times that of a second-hand ship, global shipping does not require much money, and only needs to pay 40 US dollars.

The construction period of this ship was 18 months, that is, it was launched in August 1954.At that time, whether it is a two-year long-term contract or a two-year short-term lease, in 1956, you can make a lot of money.

Therefore, there is not much pressure on the funds of Global Shipping, not to mention the different meanings behind it. Lin Zhichao cannot let rumors affect the relationship between Global Shipping and HSBC.

If it is replaced by Japan to build a 1.2-ton freighter, the estimated cost is only 140 to 150 million US dollars.But speaking of it, even in the 60s, Global Shipping had to build some new ships in Europe, which can be regarded as a good political relationship.The important thing is that there are differences between ship types and construction methods.

At the same time, Lin Zhichao was also annoyed by the increase in the warehouse lease price of Wharf.

But 20 years is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

Global Shipping Headquarters.

Lin Zhichao works in the office. In the past two or three years, he has been very focused on his shipping business.

In terms of real estate, we only purchased a large number of properties, and did not plan any projects; the foundation of the industry has been laid a long time ago, and it has been in the process of strengthening the capital for the past two or three years.

Therefore, in the past two years or so, 70% of his energy has been devoted to the shipping business.Therefore, Global Shipping is the best managed and most developed enterprise.

Now the monthly profit of Global Shipping can reach about 190 million US dollars, and the profit in the first half of the year can be about 1100 million US dollars; which means that in the first half of the year alone, Global Shipping can not only pay off all debts, but also have 800 to 850 million Cash flow in dollars.

Assuming that $200 million is used to purchase a property, there is still $650 million in cash flow for the development of shipping.Of course, if you choose to increase the second-hand freighter to 50 tons, you will need almost $500 million in capital.

Everything is developing as he expected. Although the shipping price will fall again in the second half of the year, most of the global shipping is long-term. In addition, new ships are put into operation, so the profit can still be stable.

At the same time, the drop in shipping prices does not mean that the business volume has decreased, and his fleet can still have sufficient business.After all, a mere fleet of hundreds of thousands of tons cannot affect the general trend of shipping.

"Boss, it's time for the meeting!" Assistant Chen Tian'an walked in respectfully and said.

Lin Zhichao immediately stood up and walked towards the conference room, not forgetting to encourage Chen Tian'an: "A Tian, ​​you need to study more, read more books, and ask more advice."

Chen Tian'an graduated from the University of Hong Kong, but after all, his major is not shipping, so Lin Zhichao also hopes that he will learn more.In fact, Lin Zhichao doesn't like people who are not motivated. In short, the employees who follow him must be as motivated as him, otherwise they will give up sooner or later.

"Well, I read a book during my lunch break every day." Chen Tian'an reported a few words.

He feels that the boss is supporting him, so even if it is a break, he is willing to devote energy to learning about the company and the industry.What's more, the prospects and treatment of global shipping are excellent.

Lin Zhichao walked into the meeting room without comment, and then sat down for the meeting.

"In the next few years, global shipping will enter a relatively stable development period, without excessive debt, and expand the fleet of global shipping. At the same time, we need to spare time for internal management and fleet management. Carefully crafted, must make the foundation of the company firmly established. As the management, you must prepare for new challenges.”

The higher-ups listened carefully, nodding their heads from time to time.

They found a problem, that is, the boss is trying to capture the ups and downs of shipping. What the boss said today revealed a message that the shipping situation may return to the level on the eve of the Peninsula War.

This makes people admire the boss's analysis ability in this area. After all, according to the boss's development in the shipping industry, it is to enter aggressively before the war, expand aggressively during the war, and converge at the 'end' of the war.

As for whether the war is the 'end', we don't know, but according to the analysis of the boss, it seems to be so.

Deputy General Manager Feng Yongfa took the lead in expressing his opinion: "The management of Global Shipping still has a lot of room for improvement, and Global Shipping can greatly expand its fleet even if it is not in debt. We are already ahead of other competitors in Hong Kong. It is time to stabilize." "

Just like a dream, with the support of HSBC, the global shipping fleet has grown exponentially in a few years.If there is no support from HSBC, although the boss has made a huge investment, it is afraid that it will only be at the level of 10 to 20 tons now.

And Lin Zhichao didn't take other opponents to heart, he is now going to compete with European and American fleets.When Bao Yu first entered the market, Lin Zhichao probably had a huge fleet of 100 million tons in his hands, and his business had already covered oil tanker transportation in Europe and the United States.

After all, Lin Zhichao will definitely have a huge fleet before the second half of 1956, so that he can make a lot of money.

Next, the meeting discussed some technical issues, and everyone was very positive.

For example, Japanese shipyards can transform cargo ships into "oil and cargo mixed cargo ships". The leasing market for such ships is very good.Therefore, Lin Zhichao plans to try to take out a batch of ships for refitting this year, and then lease them to Japanese companies.

Just take the next batch of purchased cargo ships and conduct experiments.

At the same time, Lin Zhichao is always observing the development of the Japanese shipbuilding industry, and visits Japanese shipyards every year. Although no new ships will be built in Japan yet, the Japanese shipyards always receive high-standard reception.

the other side.

Bishop Seeger approached Father John and said seriously: "Father John, the headquarters are very dissatisfied with our small hotel business and doing something related to missionary work, so I order you to sell it in a short time."

Father John was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "But Bishop Sig, you know that this priest's hotel was only used to receive our clergy at the beginning, and it was not for me to do missionary affairs."

Bishop Sig nodded. He has always supported his subordinates in building a small hotel, which can be used as a missionary fund.

"I have already explained it to the headquarters for you, so they just let you sell it. The Priest Hotel has ended its glorious mission. If you continue to operate, you will inevitably be distracted by missionary work. Even if I can convince the headquarters for you, but then I will be transferred in a few years, and the next bishop will not understand you so well."

Father John said: "No, Bishop Sig, I have no nostalgia for the priest's hotel, so since the headquarters has ordered, of course I will obey and will not make it difficult for you."

Bishop Sig nodded in satisfaction.

Father John frowned again and said, "It's just one thing that confuses me. Why do we let the headquarters know about our running a small hotel?"

Bishop Sig said philosophically, "That's God's will, so don't ask."

Father John nodded hastily. He wanted to ask if the clergy who were taken in went to complain, but he kindly took him in, but he didn't get the respect he deserved.

However, since Bishop Seeger said so, he also decided to sell the priest's hotel and hand over the money to the church (Spain's state religion, Catholicism).

John took it for granted that he found a fellow church member, Cai Yongxi, and told him the reason for the incident.This made Cai Yongxi secretly happy. Recently, he has been a little guilty, and it disappeared at this time—God, I made the right choice, and persuaded the lost Father John to come back.

"Mr. Cai, I need to sell the priest's hotel as soon as possible. The price is only 260 million Hong Kong dollars. Please find a predestined buyer for the church."

Cai Yongxi quickly said: "Father, is 260 million Hong Kong dollars too low? The location here is very good, not to mention the hotel business."

Father John insisted: "For this price, we, as priests, cannot pursue interests like businessmen. In the past year, I really shouldn't be distracted by the priest's hotel. God, forgive John, a child who has lost his way. .”

Cai Yongxi trembled suddenly, and quickly followed the act of praying.Seeing the appearance of Father John, Cai Yongxi just wanted to complete the transaction as soon as possible, and come to church to pray more in the future.

This time, he was a little confused.

He couldn't blame Hu Zhaoxu, because Hu Zhaoxu never asked him to report anything, this behavior was Cai Yongxi's personal behavior.

When Lin Zhichao learned that the priest's hotel only cost 260 million Hong Kong dollars, he couldn't help but feel a little bit surprised. I'm afraid that even the 350 million Hong Kong dollars now, people are rushing to ask for it; after all, it is a commercial land in Tsim Sha Tsui. Although it is not land near the sea, it is near Kowloon Park Also an advantage.

In any case, Lin Zhichao quickly arranged for a lawyer to sign the contract, and let's talk about winning the land.

A week later.

Lin Zhichao convened the management meeting of Changjiang Industrial. He first said: "From now on, Huang Changhong will serve as the deputy general manager and manager of the engineering department, and assist me in managing Changjiang Industrial."

For a long time, Cheung Kong Properties (Cheung Kong Properties) has been dominated by Lin Zhichao. If he is not in Hong Kong, no major incidents will happen, because there are no major projects under his company, and they are all rent-collecting properties, land, and old sites.

As for the tenements that are developed every year, they are actually not for making money, but for supporting the company's people.Even the management of Cheung Kong Industrial Co., Ltd. has already lived in a building, and Lin Zhichao allowed the senior management to deduct from their salary to buy the company's house.

Therefore, in 1951, 5 people from Cheung Kong Industrial Co., Ltd. got a floor. The price was very cheap. The company hardly made much money, and the annual salary of 5 people was around 1.2 Hong Kong dollars.

Lin Zhichao has high demands on the management, so the salary is naturally high, not to mention that learning this kind of thing is not for the boss.

Huang Changhong got up quickly and said, "Thank you boss for your trust. Please take care of me in the future."

He is a major student who graduated from the University of Architecture, but there is not a shortage of college students in this major in Hong Kong. Not to mention that there are such graduates in the University of Hong Kong, there are many from the mainland in the past few years.

The crowd gave applause.

At this time, Tang Caiyun was also on the sidelines, attending the meeting. Although she was idle, she enjoyed a high status in the company.This is different from many wealthy wives who only know how to play mahjong. Tang Caiyun is a career woman.

Later, Lin Zhichao said: "We want to set up a hotel department, and then change the priest's small hotel into 'Miramar Hotel' to continue to operate. This will be ready soon."

The building will not be changed at first, but will be redecorated. It will be operated until the end of the 50s, and then it will be completely dismantled and rebuilt.

Huang Changhong quickly got into the mood and said: "It is necessary to re-hire hotel talents and then renovate it. In this way, it can be regarded as a good hotel. The lobby on the first floor is very large. I suggest that it can be rebuilt into a 'big stage'." for performing traditional plays and juggling, and attracting guests."

Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "This plan is feasible!"The time and cost of the renovation must be carefully grasped. It is estimated that it will be completely dismantled and rebuilt in five or six years.You can also understand one thing today, that is, a large amount of land and old buildings owned by Cheung Kong are waiting for reconstruction.As for when it will be rebuilt, it is because I believe that sooner or later, Hong Kong will need high-rise buildings, similar to the modern development model of the United States, because there are too many people. '

Everyone was shocked. It turned out that the boss was waiting for this. Although there had been some guesses, Lin Zhichao often asked everyone to pay attention to high-rise buildings in the United States.But today, for the first time, everyone understands where the company is headed.

Afterwards, everyone worked harder!
Cheung Kong now owns too rich properties.

(End of this chapter)