The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

In mid-June, the ‘CROCODILE’ flagship store opened on Queen’s Road in Central.

Crocodile Shirt has been in preparation for more than four months. It has its own design department, marketing department, etc., and has been committed to dressing Hong Kong's middle class from the beginning. Before its opening, it had already advertised on Lai's 'Silver' radio station Words - Crocodile shirts started in 1911 and are committed to becoming Hong Kong's own clothing brand.

In the morning, the Crocodile T-shirt Central flagship store has laid out a red carpet and put up flower baskets, ready to welcome customers.

Lin Zhichao and Tang Caiyun came here specially to attend the opening ceremony. They also invited many friends to come and visit today, which can be regarded as Lin Zhichao's painstaking work. In fact, he himself is quite worried. In the previous life, Crocodile Shirt was developed by the Chen Jun family. Now that it is developed by Lin Zhichao, will it be able to reach the height of the previous life, or even exceed it.

This is a great test of Lin Zhichao's management level. Of course, Lin Zhichao is more about implementing a modern management system. He is still guiding the development of crocodile shirts as a consultant.

In terms of clothing styles, Lin Zhichao adheres to the characteristics of the times and does not stand out from the crowd. He mainly focuses on various shirts, trousers, and leather shoes. On the contrary, Crocodile T-shirts have put a lot of effort into fabrics, services, and marketing.

"Lin Sheng, congratulations on your new career!" Lee Shau Kee came to congratulate him immediately.

"Haha, brother Zhaoji has also opened up a new career, we are all happy together." Lin Zhichao said happily.

Lee Shau Kee has opened a hardware factory, which mainly produces tools (wrenches, pliers), standard parts (bolts, nuts), etc., for export to the mainland. At this time, the mainland was a completely agricultural country, with heavy industry relying on Big Brother and light industry relying on Hong Kong.

Of course, maybe some hardware can be produced in the mainland, but after all, the supply exceeds demand and it is extremely scarce. Because of this, the previous life, Lee Shau Kee, only entered this industry in 1952. After several years of development, he also accumulated hundreds of wealth.

Things are different now. Lee Shau Kee had a net worth of HK$200,000 at the beginning of the year, and now he has entered the industry very early. So in this life, Sun Hung Kai may not have three giants.

After chatting for a while, fellow Shunde people such as Hu Zhaochi and He Xiangmian came to congratulate one after another. Relatives and friends such as Tang Zhongyuan, Tang Bingyuan and Li Gaofu came to congratulate him, and the place suddenly became lively.

"I have been in the United States for less than two years. I didn't expect that Shunde would have such an outstanding businessman as Lin Sheng. I think those who are capable work hard. You should at least be his vice president and make greater contributions to the Chamber of Commerce."

Hu Zhaochi was the president of the Shunde Chamber of Commerce in the 1940s. He was also the founder of Qili Foreign Company and the founder of Baoyuan Trading Company. He also engaged in real estate, trade and tourism. , worked for Citibank (Citigroup) in 1919, and has a great influence in Hong Kong's business community.

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "I think it is better for me to be a director. It is my duty to contribute to the chamber of commerce. As for the vice president, of course, senior businessmen should be the ones to serve."

He actually didn't want to serve as president of the fellow villagers' association, because it would have too strong a regional flavor and consume too much energy. On the contrary, if he is the president of a certain industry, Lin Zhichao is more interested. His current mood is also to lead Hong Kong's industry and shipping to a place in the world as soon as possible.

"Haha, that's right. You are currently engaged in real estate, shipping, industry, and clothing, but you are a busy man. We old guys have to pay more attention to the matters of the Chamber of Commerce." Hu Zhaochi said later.

Everyone chatted until the opening ceremony officially started.

Then he led everyone to visit the store. When everyone saw that the crocodile shirt can be replaced with collars, cuffs, etc., they all appreciated it and thought that this would be very attractive to the middle class in Hong Kong.

"Why are there basically only female shop assistants? The shops in the store are all for men, right?" a friend asked.

Wing On Department Store was the first to recruit Hong Kong female shop assistants as early as the 1920s and 1930s, so it was not uncommon in Hong Kong at this time. Of course, most of the shop assistants are men, with only a few women.

Lin Zhichao explained: "Women should be more careful! Moreover, if a man comes to shop for crocodile shirts, if he likes them, he can go to the fitting room over there to try them on, and then pay at the front desk if they suit him."

"It's a bit new!" Everyone praised it one after another.

The fitting room is definitely not new, but the layout, services, etc. of the entire store are all new, giving people a refreshing feeling, but not too abrupt, because Lin Zhichao deliberately innovated in terms of decoration layout, but also adhered closely to this era.

Soon, the guests who came to attend the ceremony dispersed, and Crocodile T-shirt officially welcomed an endless stream of guests.

I heard a customer say while choosing clothes: "I heard on the radio that Crocodile T-shirts were opened again. I liked this brand before the war, but it was confiscated by the Hong Kong government. I didn't expect it to finally see the light of day again."

The sales girls all come from Lin Zhichao's line of sales skills. Naturally, they are all good at talking, but they will not overwhelm others.

"Sir, he is really a regular customer of crocodile shirts and knows so much about the history of crocodile shirts!"

Crocodile shirt deliberately downplays the fact that it was founded by Germans, only traces its history to 1911, and emphasizes that it is a local brand in Hong Kong.

"Can I try it on?"

"Of course, that's the fitting room over there."

As customers came to visit one after another, the checkout counter quickly continued. Lin Zhichao knew that this wave of customers came here because they heard about the radio station. To be a well-known brand, what is needed is long-term reputation, quality, marketing, etc. As for the style, it should not only refer to European and American fashion, but also follow the preferences of the local middle class.

For example, in Hong Kong now, men often wear shirts. As for shirts and T-shirts, they are not yet popular, and it is estimated that they will be in the mid-to-late 1950s.

When he and general manager Zhao Mingyi came to the doorman, Lin Zhichao said: "The Kowloon store will try to open in July, and then we will make up for the shortcomings in a timely manner based on market feedback from the two stores."

Zhao Mingyi is the general manager of Crocodile Shirt, and he holds great power, but Lin Zhichao has a huge business after all, so it is impossible to keep an eye on the development of Crocodile Shirt. Therefore, Lin Zhichao would rather train the abilities of these managements than participate in the trivial matter of crocodile shirts.

Of course, once in a while as a customer, Lin Zhichao can find areas for improvement by going to experience shopping a few times in person. At present, the crocodile shirts have good fabrics, excellent production, considerate service, and innovative decoration and layout. These four are the main directions.

"Well, no problem, that store is almost decorated! We will also go to the store every day to accumulate more practical experience." Zhao Mingyi said confidently.

In his view, the boss has taught everyone a lot of business philosophy, and they should strictly implement it and look for more advantages.

As for performance, in the words of the boss, every satisfied customer is the best performance. In fact, what the boss means is that brands need to be accumulated.

"Don't disturb the store too much, especially put too much pressure on the store staff. You come to the store as customers and find problems, not your boss to teach the store staff or store managers. If there are any problems, discuss them in the meeting and then convey them to the store manager and deputy store manager. .”

"Ok, I see!"

Lin Zhichao was worried that he would become the leader of later generations to check every three days, so that the people below only knew how to deal with it, and changed their original intentions.

Afterwards, Lin Zhichao took Tang Caiyun away.

"Husband, I feel like you have to take care of a lot of things a day, but each thing is so powerful." Tang Caiyun said admiringly.

She knew that the development of the Changjiang Garment Factory would be inseparable from her husband commanding the overall situation. Even Dongfang Textile has the shadow of its own husband.

This management ability can almost be said to exist like a god.

Lin Zhichao leaned on the back of the car and said: "It's all just talk on paper. In fact, like everyone else, I do follow-up development through concrete practice. Therefore, some things require my own hard work and planning."

Tang Caiyun had an adoring look on her face, but she knew that her husband had a strong learning ability.

Seeing Tang Caiyun's appearance, Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "I'm holding you back for many work matters now, and I've also told you about them. You can't just forget about it when you look back. Moreover, in a few years, when the Yangtze River System becomes a group, When the time comes, you have to go to work in the company."

Tang Caiyun immediately cheered up. Being a full-time housewife still felt a little boring to her. However, in the words of my husband, Hong Kong has been in a bad situation for the past few years, and the company has also been scattered, so there is no time yet.

"Yes." Then she whispered in Lin Zhichao's ear: "Husband, I think I can have your child again. My health has recovered a long time ago."

Lin Zhichao patted Tang Caiyun's thigh and said, "I have a plan, don't worry!"

It would be better to wait a year and a half, so as to protect Tang Caiyun's body and enjoy his young and beautiful wife more.

Strange to say, Lin Zhichao had a guess that after giving birth to the child, Tang Caiyun's appearance was not damaged at all, but became more attractive; the same was true for the skin on her body.

So he guessed that whether it was his saliva or his saliva, it might contain a kind of 'super-active cells', which were very beneficial to the human body.

If that's the case, that's a good thing. Of course, we can't tell anyone about it.

The other side.

At a nearby tailor shop, the owner asked the employee who was acting as a shop explorer: "How is it, what is the condition of this crocodile shirt?"

The employee said: "They use imported fabrics and then produce a lot of clothes to hang in the store for customers to choose from. In terms of price, it is relatively expensive. A shirt costs about 50 Hong Kong dollars, but if the collar and cuffs are worn, they can Replacement for the customer."

The boss immediately said: "It's so expensive. Is it custom-made? Don't you need to measure your width, height, and just buy the clothes directly?"

The employee nodded and said, "Yes, they produce clothes in various sizes. Customers try them on and buy them. After a while, there are a lot of sales!"

The boss immediately disagreed and said: "You have to measure it to know whether it fits you. How can someone who can afford high-end clothes just buy a set? I don't think this crocodile shirt will last long. It's not as cheap as the ready-made clothes in the store. It’s not like a custom tailor shop like ours can fit you well.”

The employee didn't say anything. He thought it was a good shopping experience.

At the dock in Hong Kong, Lin Zhichao and his family were waiting for Victory's turn to arrive. There were telegraph machines on large cargo ships, and telegrams could be sent within hundreds of kilometers.

If the fleet becomes large, the telegraph machines on each ship will be used to form a huge information network. In this way, the telegraph room at the Hong Kong headquarters can know the situation of merchant ships around the world and make unified dispatches. For example, if there is a notice that there will be a big storm in a certain sea area, an experienced captain should look for the nearest safe haven as soon as possible.

"Here it comes, the Victory Wheel has arrived!"

A sharp-eyed executive of Global Shipping shouted happily.

Everyone looked into the distance and suddenly showed excitement. The Victory Wheel was larger than the Liberty Wheel and looked newer, like a brand new cargo ship.

As the ship got closer and closer, the huge size of the Victory Ship was finally clearly displayed in front of everyone's eyes. It was painted with the "Global Shipping" logo, which further demonstrated the strength of Global Shipping.

Some workers at the dock also saw this scene.

"Which foreign company's big ship is that, it's so majestic!"

"Boy, didn't you see the logo of Global Shipping on it, which means that the boss is Lin Zhichao."

"Lin Zhichao? Is that the boss of the two Liberty Ships?"

"It's him! I didn't expect that we Chinese can have such a powerful ship owner. This ship must have more than 10,000 tons."

For a time, people on the dock were also talking about it.

Although Lin Zhichao deliberately kept a low profile, he would not keep it completely secret, so it was inevitable to paint the logo of "Global Shipping" on the ship.

What's more, when he has more ships, who can count how many ships he has.

Tang Zhongyuan said to Lin Zhichao from the air: "You have a cargo ship of nearly 50,000 tons, and the business pressure is very high, right?"

If there is a ship but no orders, wouldn’t it be so anxious?

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "The business has stabilized! The first two ships are on the right track. I plan to go to Japan to promote the two newly purchased ships and rent them out on time."

Tang Zhongyuan nodded. He doesn't understand shipping, so he won't judge the pros and cons of this business method without authorization.

After a while, everyone boarded the Victory Ship and were warmly welcomed by the crew led by the captain.

Lin Zhichao shook hands with the foreign crew members one by one and arranged for Global Shipping executives to entertain them in Hong Kong. Once the sailors docked, all they wanted to do was have fun. After all, holding back for so many days at sea was a problem.

As for the seafarers of the global shipping, they are naturally not qualified yet, and the monthly salary is one hundred Hong Kong dollars, which is not so chic. Of course, although the salary of global seafarers is only 100 Hong Kong dollars, after all, food and accommodation are included on board, so they are a high-income group in Hong Kong. If they save money, they can save a lot in a year.

Later, Lin Zhichao also encouraged the seafarers around the world and encouraged everyone to make progress. This instantly ignited everyone's motivation and eager to contribute to the company immediately.

Tang Zhongyuan and other relatives and friends were secretly amazed by these details. They discovered that Lin Zhichao liked to personally motivate the lowest employees, and he was very appealing. He could make everyone enthusiastic and work hard with just a few words.

It's a technology!

Later generations call it painting cakes, and Lin Zhichao has always insisted on painting cakes for employees. Of course, the cake he drew will indeed exist.

In the afternoon, Lin Zhichao held a meeting with the management of Global Shipping to discuss the matter of its four ships.

At the beginning of the meeting, Lin Zhichao said: "If we use the 'Gold and Silver' to merge our two fixed routes, namely Tokyo-Hong Kong-Southeast Asian ports-Australia, the remaining three ships will be leased for a half-year period. Everyone feels that the fixed route Is the route feasible?”

Jinyinhao is the 8,600-ton cargo ship named Jinyinhao. Of course, this is a Chinese name, and the hull is usually printed in English.

Because when doing business outside, English is the best.

The management at this time understood the benefits of a long-term lease, so naturally they would not object to the boss's arrangement.

Gao Qiqiang said: "Now shipping is becoming more and more prosperous, especially since Japan's economy has begun to develop, and shipping business has greatly increased. Therefore, fixed routes can almost achieve 80% to 90% transportation status, and there is no need to worry about no cargo orders."

As early as the end of 1949, the Japanese economy had already begun to receive support from the United States, and the chaos itself was almost over.

Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "In that case, I will try to rent out all three ships for half a year this time. When the shipping situation becomes more prosperous, I will consider the next step of operation."

Everyone made the decision without raising any questions. Next, it was time to arrange for the formalities of the 'Jinsheng' and 'Gold and Silver' to be in place by the end of June.

As for the seafarers, the second batch of seafarers in Global Shipping has been trained for three months, and all of them just joined the post.

As for the purchase of new ships, Global Shipping still has the final payment not repaid, and it will not be able to pay for it for a while.

Later, Lin Zhichao said to Gao Qiqiang: "How is your Japanese literature?"

Gao Qiqiang immediately said honestly: "I guess it's not good, there are still some difficulties in direct communication!"

Lin Zhichao said: "Well, if you interact more with the Japanese, you will naturally become proficient. Next week you and I will go to Japan. Global Shipping's future business will mainly rely on small Japan. With the support of Americans, their economy will only get better and better. It’s getting better and better, but Japan is a small country with a large population and a huge demand for shipping. Japan is strict about foreign exchange and it may not be possible to buy ships in time, so it must be very keen on chartering ships.”

Japan has strict foreign exchange management and has formulated strategies in the late 1940s. Although the chartering contract is a long-term contract, the payment is made every month, so this makes Japan very enthusiastic about chartering ships.

Of course, Japan itself will also have a lot of ships, but it cannot meet the growing economic needs.

"Okay," Gao Qiqiang said seriously.

Other executives took the boss's words to heart one after another, because this may be the outline of future operations.

To be honest, everyone still has some reservations in their hearts. The boss has such strong funds that he should buy several thousand more medium-sized ships and then run a one-way charter. This will definitely be more profitable.

It is obviously not a good idea to buy a large ship of 10,000 tons now.

Whose idea is better?

Everything will be revealed within a year!