The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

The conference room of Yangtze River Industry's headquarters.

Lin Zhichao looked at the senior executives of the group and the main management of Zhongtian Steel and Zhongtian Shipbreaking Yard with some satisfaction.

Cheung Kong Industries Group has strong technical strength and has always insisted on recruiting mechanical, chemical and other related talents from the mainland who have graduated from the University of Hong Kong. Therefore, the company's scientific research capabilities are definitely not weak. It can self-research and repair various machinery. Smelting copper.

The University of Hong Kong is not without science graduates. As early as the beginning of this century, Taikoo Dockyard recruited mechanical engineers from the University of Hong Kong. Taikoo Dockyard has always been a shipbuilding base in the Far East. At its peak, it had more than 6,000 workers and was a large shipyard. It has shipped 6,000-ton ocean-going ships.

In addition to the University of Hong Kong, there are also some polytechnic vocational schools that can also train polytechnic talents.

What Hong Kong really lacks is the development of the industrial chain. There is no government planning and layout like Singapore did in later generations.

"How are the preparations for the ship-breaking yard going?"

Hearing Lin Zhichao's question, Deng Zhongfa, the general manager of Zhongtian Shipbreaking Yard, immediately said: "The shipbreaking bases in Zuijun Bay and Tseung Kwan O are almost ready. You can go and buy ships and then bring them back to Hong Kong for shipbreaking!"

Lin Zhichao was satisfied with the progress. The ship-breaking yard he requested was not an ordinary requirement, but a systematic plan to minimize environmental damage and how to dispose and stack the dismantled materials.

In fact, although shipbreaking can easily pollute the environment, the shipbreaking industry is a resource-friendly and environmentally friendly industry. Using shipbreaking scrap steel instead of ore for steelmaking can reduce gas pollution by 86%, water pollution by 76%, water consumption by 40%, and mining waste by 97%. %, known as "ship recycling industry" or "smoke-free metallurgical industry". But at the same time, scrap ships contain large amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, tributyltin, lead, oil, paint and other harmful substances. If not handled properly, they will pollute the ocean, land and atmosphere, threatening the health of local residents and the living environment.

The earliest large-scale shipbreaking industry in Hong Kong began to sprout after World War II.

After World War II, the Hong Kong government was busy clearing up shipping lanes. The industrialist "Zheng Zhizhi" was keenly aware that there were many sunken warships and shell casings in Victoria Harbor, which were a good source of raw materials for the steel industry. He expanded his four brothers' Jiehe Factory into a limited company and applied to the Hong Kong government to undertake the salvage and dismantling of ships sunk in the harbor during the war.

The sunken ship that was salvaged was a huge thing, and it was quite difficult for the Hong Kong authorities to handle it. Zheng Zhizhi had a unique insight and bought it at a low price and dismantled the sunken ship. The disassembled parts can be used if they can be repaired, and the metal scraps that can’t be repaired and can’t be used are re-cast together with shell shells purchased from fishermen, and rolled into steel bars and other profiles for sale, turning waste into treasure.

It was during Hong Kong's post-war recovery period, and there was a lot of waste waiting to be renovated, and there was a huge demand for steel products in various places. Jiehe's business developed rapidly, and its steel bar production alone accounted for two-thirds of Hong Kong's production. The Hong Kong government also paid them a ship-breaking fee of HK$60 per ton to reward them for helping the government clean up the harbor.

Both sides benefited, and their wealth grew rapidly.

Therefore, Jiehe is not only a shipbreaking yard, but also a steel company; in later generations, Shaorong Iron and Steel, the "steel king" Pang Dingyuan, will be listed as two large steel enterprises in Hong Kong. Of course, there are also some other small steel plants in Hong Kong.

"Okay! I will arrange for people from Global Shipping Company to join forces with you. They will purchase the ship and hand it over to you for disassembly."

Deng Zhongfa understood that in terms of professionalism in buying abandoned ships, of course it was the people who were shipping around the world.

"Okay, we're ready to do the disassembly!"

Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "Let's try it on a small scale first. The scale will gradually increase later. You have to manage it well!"

His idea was that the people at Global Shipping would select the ships in the major ports around the world. Those that can be used are pulled back and sold to others, or simply put into operation themselves; those that are not usable are handed over to the Zhongtian Shipbreaking Plant for dismantling.

In this way, I made three sums of money in one breath: I set up a shipping agency company and also engaged in the second-hand ship business; I bought a ship that can be operated at the 'removal price', even if the price was lower and leased it out, it would be a huge profit; The boats used are dismantled and turned into treasure.

Next, Lin Zhichao said to Cheng Yuanxiong, the general manager of "Zhongtian Iron and Steel", "If the iron and steel plant lacks engineers, they should go to Japan to recruit. The technical level and quality must be guaranteed."

Hong Kong's steelmaking cannot be underestimated. In the previous life, from the late 1950s, Hong Kong's steel was exported to Japan, and of course a large proportion of it was probably scrap iron.

It turned out that in the previous life, from 1959 to 1961, the world's major ports were full of second-hand ships waiting to be scrapped. The vision and knowledge of Hong Kong people were top-notch in the whole world. A large industry was formed. At its peak, there were 200 shipbreaking yards employing thousands of workers. After Europe and the United States heard that Hong Kong's ship-breaking industry was developed, they brought scrapped warships and aircraft carriers to Hong Kong and handed them over to Hong Kong ship-breaking yards for dismantling.

As a result, ship breaking became popular in Hong Kong, but businessmen in Southeast Asia also saw that the ship breaking industry was making money, so they joined in one after another; this way, the price of second-hand ships was raised, and in the end it was no longer profitable. .

Therefore, the development of the ship-breaking industry only lasted for two or three years, just like a flash in the pan.

Cheng Yuanxiong said: "I understand! The steel plant is expected to be put into operation in the middle of next year. By then, it will definitely become the largest steel plant in Hong Kong, and it will also be able to smelt qualified steel."

He was originally the director of the copper smelting factory, but now he has been selected by the group to be the general manager of the Zhongtian Iron and Steel Plant, so naturally he has high hopes.

When Yangtze River Industrial Group invests in a certain industry, its biggest advantage is that the group can support all types of talents and managers.

Becoming the largest steel plant in Hong Kong is a good goal, and maybe it can expand to the global steel industry in the future.

These goals do not have to be accomplished by Lin Zhichao. When his sons grow up, they can also perform them. After all, I have laid the foundation for them.

Finally, Lin Zhichao said: "Shipbreaking is an industry that can easily cause pollution, but Hong Kong people don't have enough to eat, so even if we don't do it, someone else will discover the mystery of the shipbreaking industry sooner or later. Manager Deng, I hope you Do this - in the process of ship dismantling, summarize the "Ship Recycling Convention". Some ship parts contain many toxic and harmful substances, such as heavy oil, asbestos, lead, etc. During the dismantling process, due to the dismantling workers' Ships do not know much about which parts contain toxic and hazardous substances, and sometimes they fail to dispose of them properly and treat them as general waste materials. Exposed toxic and hazardous substances can cause serious pollution to the ecological environment and endanger local areas. I hope you can summarize the rivers, air and soil and hand it over to the Hong Kong government or colleagues for standardization. For dismantling workers, I hope to provide training and guidance."

If you want to do something, be the industry leader. Since you are the industry leader, you can naturally make rules.

Deng Zhongfa said with admiration: "The boss thinks long-term, and I will definitely do a good job in summarizing this aspect. By the way, boss, we can ask Global Shipping to provide some technical guidance, so that we can do better!"

Lin Zhichao's eyes lit up. He was so smart that he didn't even think of this for a while. The technical department of Global Shipping is very powerful and knows the structure of the ship very well.

"It's feasible. I'll ask them to send out a guidance engineer later. However, you also have to summarize and record it. In the end, the dismantling workers at Zhongtian Steel Plant will have to undergo certain training before taking up their posts."

Since you can't stop the development of Hong Kong's ship-breaking industry, then do it yourself, and make it the largest one. This will also reduce pollution compared to the previous life. At the same time, working with the port government to regulate the entire ship-breaking industry can also reduce pollution.

In the evening, Lin Zhichao went home early. This morning he picked up Xu Caiying and Lin Ruicheng's mother and son from the hospital. Naturally, he wanted to celebrate in the evening.

The seven children in the family, both old and young, can eat at the adult table only if they pass Lin Zhichao's inspection, that is, they must not be too noisy and can eat independently. Today, only three children, Lin Ruihuan, Lin Ruijiang, and Lin Ruhai, can meet the requirements.

Before the meal, Tang Caiyun asked: "Honey, what would you like to drink?"

Lin Zhichao said: "Today is a good day, so naturally it's time to drink our Chinese liquor, let's drink Maotai!"

He purchased a total of one thousand bottles of 'Golden Wheel Brand' Maotai and stored them in the wine cellar, intending to enjoy them slowly and give them away later. In short, in the future, I might be able to save about one or two hundred bottles. According to Lin Zhichao's understanding, the Jinlun brand Moutai in the 1950s seemed to sell for more than 300,000 a bottle in previous lives.

He is not fancy the appreciation price, but a collection psychology. Moutai for export is expected to register the 'Feitian Brand' this year, and Lin Zhichao will make large-scale purchases at that time.

After a while, Tang Caiyun took out a bottle of Maotai that had been opened. After all, Lin Zhichao was not an alcoholic, so he had no one to drink with him, so he only had one or two taels of white wine, so he was not too greedy. He drank at most one or two bottles of white wine a month, but drank more red wine.

"Husband, you like to collect wine, you should buy a property and specialize in collecting baijiu! Otherwise, sooner or later, the wine cellar will not be able to hold it." Tang Caiyun reminded with a smile.

After following Lin Zhichao for so long, she knew that Lin Zhichao was not addicted to alcohol, he did not drink alcohol during working hours at noon, he did not drink much at night, and he was only half drunk when socializing.

But Lin Zhichao has a characteristic, that is, he drinks alcohol every night, as if it is a habit. In fact, Lin Zhichao, who is proficient in health preservation, knows that drinking alcohol properly may be healthier.

Therefore, women in the family also drink red wine, except during pregnancy and lactation.

Lin Zhichao said: "It makes sense, I will find a chance to buy another property later!"

Xu Caiying, who was three days after giving birth, said: "How about the bungalow on Conduit Road?"

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "It is impossible to waste land where high-rise buildings will be built in the future. There are many good properties. From the south of Hong Kong Island are the wealthy areas, Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay, and Shek O. By the way, recently The owner of No. 80 Deep Water Bay has also begun to relent and intends to sell the property. I will buy it later and use it as a second-bedroom villa for you."

Xu Caiying said coyly: "Why did you suddenly mention room sharing?"

She thinks it's good to live with her sister, as she has always done so since she was a child.

Lin Zhichao said: "How can we not separate rooms? When the children are older and getting married, how can we still have such a big family crowded together. So I will spend six or seven years rebuilding No. 80 Deep Water Bay and consider it in the future. The problem of living in separate rooms!”

Xu Caiying instantly understood what Lin Zhichao meant. After the child grew up, No. 79 Deep Water Bay could only be used as Lin Ruihuan's wedding home. After all, he was the eldest son. And her lineage naturally needs a villa for her eldest son, so No. 80 Deep Water Bay is perfect.

"Well, it will indeed be necessary in the future!"

Lin Zhichao said: "In the future, there will be more villas of this kind, which are both an investment and a living environment that can satisfy our family."

Both Tang Caiyun and Xu Caiying's eyes lit up. It has been a year and a half since they moved into Deep Water Bay No. 79. Living in this kind of mansion is very enjoyable.

Tang Caiyun sighed: "When we were crowded on Seymour Road and Happy Valley, we never expected to develop so fast. In ten years, Hong Kong has changed a lot."

The family expressed their feelings from the beginning to the present. Everyone can see the overall changes in Hong Kong. At this time, Hong Kong can be said to be comparable to the Shanghai stock market back then.

"Is this chicken sent by Yu Chengwan Er Tai Wu Bing?" As a gourmet, Lin Zhichao's mouth is very sensitive.

Wu Wenying said: "Well, Ah Bing gave me two live chickens every now and then, and I can't accept them!"

Wu Bing is a smart man. Once he gave chickens raised on a farm in the countryside. After meeting Wu Wenying, he firmly grasped this relationship. He was Wu Wenying's poker friend. As for the chicken from their farm, the taste is indeed slightly better. Lin Zhichao praised it before, and Wu Bing has always kept it in his heart, and he will give it to Wu Wenying every now and then.

"It's not very good to accept it too often. Let's refuse it next time. When we want to eat, we can let her buy it again."

Wu Wenying nodded and said, "That makes sense! I'm a little scared of this girl's enthusiasm. I'll teach her a lesson next time."

Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "There is no need to teach you a lesson. Mom, if you be a little more serious, she will give up. She doesn't necessarily want to get any benefits from us, she is just grateful that I have helped them before!"

Wu Wenying said: "You just like to help others, so you are very popular!" Her expression was very satisfied, her son was so promising.

With the help of Lin Zhichao, Yu Chengwan's destiny changed greatly. Not only did he escape the disaster of his life, but he also became very rich. He owned a one-story facade and several rental houses worth nearly one million.

Occasionally, when everyone gets together, he can also learn some knowledge about property investment from Lin Zhichao and others; Yu Chengwan still has business acumen, and there will be no problem in becoming a rich man in the future.

The next day, Lin Zhichao came to Global Shipping and had two meetings - a management meeting and a technical meeting. Management meetings are not held every day, but technical meetings are very important and are held every day.

After completing these two things, Lin Zhichao called Feng Yongfa to the office.

"Arrange a team to be responsible for the purchase of second-hand ships to be scrapped in major ports around the world. The price must be cheap. After we buy them back, we will maintain the ones that are still usable and then sell them through shipping agents or lease them to customers. "If it cannot be used, we will sell it to my Yangtze River Industrial Group at a fair price for ship scrapping."

Feng Yongfa immediately understood the boss's thoughts and knew that this was a new business. He said: "Well, shipping has just started to be downturn this year, and the price of second-hand ships has not yet reached the bottom. I think the number of second-hand ships to be scrapped in major ports will become more and more... There are more and more second-hand ships coming, and Europe and the United States support the shipbuilding industry, and they are scrapped in advance.”

Lin Zhichao nodded. The deputy general manager could still analyze the future situation and said: "What you said makes sense! It is expected that the real shipping trough will begin at the end of the year and the beginning of next year. So in the past six months, you have allowed the team to take small actions Come on, keep it a secret."

Feng Yongfa said: "No problem! If you are lucky, you may be able to pick up a second-hand ship with good performance. By then, a ship worth tens of thousands of dollars can be rented for hundreds of thousands a year. It may break down in the middle, but it is definitely worth it. adventure."

Lin Zhichao banged on the table. Although such a thing is a good thing, it will also have a certain impact on the credibility of Global Shipping.

"So be cautious. You would rather sell it to someone else, but you should also keep it under lock and key."

"It may be better to avoid such problems if it is a one-way short-term rental."

Lin Zhichao thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense, and said: "Let's consider this issue flexibly! In recent years, we have purchased scrapped ships from major ports, and more of them have selected dismantled ships for Yangtze River Industry. When the time comes, we can Just get some hard-earned money for each boat. The point is, you can’t buy too expensive, so try buying first this year!”

"Okay, I'll go organize the team right away."

After Feng Yongfa left, Lin Zhichao also thought about a problem - that is, he planned to recruit some foreign management in the next few years, mainly responsible for European and American business and public relations.

Lin Zhichao has always used local staff and management, as long as the business is in Asia; as Global Shipping's business increases in Europe and the United States, local staff and management are somewhat inconvenient. Obviously, foreigners are dealing with foreigners, and even more so. Efficient.

Although the main ships of Global Shipping are long-term leased to European and American companies, even this kind of business requires careful maintenance and care.

Thinking of this, Lin Zhichao is going to start implementing the plan recently. He will first recruit a foreign "deputy general manager", and then slowly absorb some Western management and staff, mainly for branches stationed overseas.

After all, in the next two to three years, Global Shipping’s tanker fleet will increase dramatically and its business will expand several times.

As Lin Zhichao's career expanded, he began to pay more and more attention to the capabilities of management and his preparations to enter the world's business field, so naturally he could not just use the management he had been cultivating.

Of course, Lin Zhichao thinks that his management ability is very strong, and this career is completely timely. In addition to his brain being many times more powerful than ordinary people, more importantly, he can use his 'insight' to 'grasp the big and let go of the small'.

For example, in the wig and plastic flower industry, when he learned that there was only a certain "flower season", he naturally boldly delegated power to the management, with little involvement.

As long as we learn to focus on the key points, we can manage no matter how many industries we have.

{Please give me a monthly ticket! }(End of this chapter)