The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

Mid-December.

International gold quickly rebounded by more than 10%, and the price returned to above 220 US dollars per ounce. This means that the total investment of 200 million Hong Kong dollars in gold spot by Cheung Kong Group and Hutchison Whampoa has achieved a profit of more than 20 million.

This investment will not actually affect the outcome of the upcoming Hutchison Whampoa Shareholders' Meeting to elect the Chairman of the Board of Directors. After all, Lin Zhichao's prestige is enough to surpass Wei Li, who is just paying a salary.

However, the success of this transaction can really convince Hutchison Whampoa's management of Lin Zhichao's leadership charisma and the financial situation that can really help Hutchison Whampoa.

In the office of Cheung Kong Group, Lin Zhichao was thinking about what he would do if he was elected chairman of the board of directors of Hutchison Whampoa on New Year's Day next year.

Hutchison Whampoa's senior management actually took advantage of the fact that Hutchison Whampoa's senior managers were all British, and intended to let Lin Zhichao learn from HSBC. They only held Hutchison Whampoa's equity and did not interfere with Hutchison Whampoa's operations. In their view, Hutchison Whampoa is full of talents and has its own system in the fields of trade, retail, pharmaceuticals, shipyards, container terminals, etc. It is obviously wrong for Cheung Kong Group to intervene rashly.

It is a pity that Lin Zhichao of course does not want to be just a major shareholder, but wants to take power.

But if you want to take power, you don't just have to drive away Wei Li, Richardson and others. The important thing is to have a group of senior executives who are loyal to you, so that Hutchison Whampoa can take over smoothly. As for the middle and low-level foreign management and foreign employees, they only need you to pay their salaries on time, which is enough. What's more, Lin Zhichao himself is also a prestigious person in their eyes.

Therefore, the current problem is the lack of senior managers, especially foreign senior managers.

Mai Lisi counts as one, and although Li Yeguang is not a foreigner, he is a barrister recognized by the United Kingdom, so he can also count as one. But these two people could only let Lin Zhichao control the board of directors.

"Boss, there is a foreign manager of a company owned by Yihe outside. He said he sells air-conditioners and hopes to meet you!" The assistant walked into Lin Zhichao's office and reported.

He knew the character of his boss and would not reject it outright because it was a sales pitch. It was said that the boss was also a salesman back then, so he would not refuse directly, but would ask for instructions.

Lin Zhichao was stunned, there were such coincidences in the world, and then he said: "Well, please invite him in!"

"OK"

If nothing else happens, the person who will walk in later should be Ma Shimin, who is currently the manager of Yihe air-conditioning cabinets. The so-called air-conditioning cabinet is an air conditioner. Jardine has a wide range of industries and its manufacturing industry is also very developed. It can build air conditioners, elevators, ships, and machinery.

After a while, a foreigner walked in. He exuded a military temperament and had perseverance. He was a capable man under forty years old.

"Hello Mr. Lin, I am Ma Shimin, the sales manager of Yihe air-conditioning cabinets!"

"Sit down and talk!"

Lin Zhichao politely invited Ma Shimin to sit on the sofa, and then his assistant poured tea.

Then, he took the initiative to ask: "What's your reason for coming?"

Ma Shimin suddenly felt that he was being taken seriously. He did not expect this salesman to be so polite. He immediately said: "I want to sell our air-conditioning cabinets, and hope that long and sturdy buildings will be equipped with our air-conditioning cabinets. Compared with Japanese air-conditioning Cabinet, our Yihe air-conditioning cabinet.”

After Lin Zhichao listened carefully, although he did not decide to use it because it was Ma Shimin, he still had the idea of ​​​​using it from the words Ma Shimin promoted. This fully shows that Ma Shimin has good sales skills.

Of course, he still deliberately made things difficult: "Although you have good eloquence, I have also been in sales in the early years and know the things involved. Salespeople always show their best side to customers, and even exaggerate Advantages in certain aspects. Whether the Jardine Freezer is really as good as you say, it’s hard for me to judge right away!”

Ma Shimin immediately said: "With the strength of Cheung Kong Group, many buildings have been completed one after another, so your concerns are reasonable. But I am confident and hope you will give us a chance to try out the air-conditioning cabinets in a building. If it is good, we will follow up The building will then decide to use ours.”

Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "Okay, since what you said has moved my heart, although I still have doubts in my heart, I am willing to give you this opportunity."

Ma Shimin said seriously: "Thank you for your trust. I guarantee that there will be no quality problems with our air-conditioning cabinets, and we will maintain communication with customers at any time."

Lin Zhichao nodded, and then he asked curiously: "From what I see, you look a bit like Shen Bi, the senior manager of HSBC Bank. Could it be that you have also been in the military?"

Ma Shimin suddenly felt that he had been elevated too much. Shen Bi, the senior manager of HSBC Bank, was the youngest chairman of the board of directors of a major bank in the world.

"Mr. Lin, you deserve the award! I have indeed served as a soldier and been on a real battlefield. It is precisely because I have experienced life and death that I have developed a tough character. At present, my experience and ability still need to be learned while doing it." . But when doing business in Hong Kong, when you show your true skills, you will learn quickly."

Lin Zhichao nodded, with admiration on his face, and then he said: "I think you are a little like me!"

Ma Shimin asked curiously: "What aspect is Mr. Lin referring to?"

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "I am also a salesman and have experienced more than 30 years of shopping mall career, so I have a special ability - I have a lion-like instinct. I can feel the person with a look or a handshake. Is it credible? And I looked at your eyes and found that you have eyes that are very good at observing people's hearts. Tell me, am I right?"

Ma Shimin said in surprise: "Although Mr. Lin means to praise me, I feel that I am really good at observation. I can see something inner with every look and every handshake."

Lin Zhichao laughed "haha" and then said: "Then tell me, I am sitting here with you today. Apart from listening to your sales about air-conditioners, what other thoughts do you have?"

Ma Shimin thought about it and thought that Lin Zhichao, as such a big entrepreneur, must be busy, but now he was sitting with him chatting, and this was the first time the two met.

So, he said tentatively: "Mr. Lin is unstoppable in taking over Wharf Group and Hutchison Whampoa. It is not easy to control these two British-owned companies, especially Hutchison Whampoa, a large foreign company. I think you hope that I’ll join your team!”

Lin Zhichao immediately applauded and said, "Let me tell you, we are the same type of people! So what do you think of this proposal?"

Ma Shimin immediately said: "I'm sorry I can't promise you! There is an old saying in China - I would rather be a chicken head than a phoenix tail. I am currently in the learning stage at Yihe and will look for opportunities to start my own business. So, although I admire you very much Mr. Lin, thank you for your appreciation, but I don’t want to give up on my dream.”

Lin Zhichao nodded seriously and said: "In that case, let's put this matter aside for now. Let's exchange contact information!"

Ma Shimin quickly provided his business card and personal phone number to Lin Zhichao, and Lin Zhichao provided his office phone number. He was the boss anyway and could not change his office phone number.

The reason why he didn't offer a high price to get Ma Shimin to join him was because he understood a truth. Otherwise, if Ma Shimin had tried his luck, he would have thought that starting a business was easy. Maybe starting a business is easy for him, but it is not so easy to make the company bigger. Secondly, Ma Shimin went out to start a business, which also helped to improve his overall management capabilities.

In short, the final result is that if Lin Zhichao still needs him, he will spend huge sums of money to acquire his company. In this way, he has proven his worth and will naturally return to the long-term system.

People may talk about this kind of thing - exchanging a mountain for a tree, but in fact, it has the same meaning as advising people not to give up the entire forest for a tree in love.

But the key is to see what kind of tree it is!

Hutchison Whampoa.

Wei Li couldn't help but be surprised in the office. Not long after the company bought gold, it had gained more than 10%. He originally hoped that this investment would reduce Lin Zhichao's prestige, but now it has obviously worked as an idea.

Hutchison Whampoa invested HK$100 million in spot gold, and in just half a month, it made an on-book profit of HK$10 million.

Originally this was a good thing, but Hutchison Whampoa is about to hold a shareholder meeting to elect a new chairman of the board of directors. Although it is not yet known how much shares Cheung Kong Group holds in Hutchison Whampoa (he thinks it will not be less than 30%), it is enough for Lin Zhichao to compete with him for the position of chairman of the board of directors.

This competition is based on the election by the shareholders' meeting. But if Cheung Kong Group declares that it owns 35% of Hutchison Whampoa shares, it is almost a sure thing. But obviously, Cheung Kong Group has not issued a statement at present, which means that Lin Zhichao is confident in electing the chairman of the board of directors.

Soon, Wei Li also felt that it was a high probability that Lin Zhichao would be elected as chairman of the board of directors this time, and he couldn't help but become angry. Finally, he shook his head helplessly. It is said that HSBC sold Hutchison Whampoa because Lin Zhichao introduced HSBC to a consortium in the United States and thus acquired SITC Bank.

According to this argument, Lin Zhichao was involved in HSBC's acquisition of SITC, so it makes perfect sense for Hutchison Whampoa to be sold to Lin Zhichao. The two are not of the same value at all.

"I can't sit still and wait for death! Even if Lin Zhichao is elected as the chairman of the board of directors, it is better for him to be a major shareholder like HSBC Bank instead of participating in Hutchison Whampoa's affairs. After all, Hutchison Whampoa's management is all Westerners .”

Thinking of this, he summoned Richard Xin to his office.

Weili said to his deputy: "Although Lin Zhichao has outstanding achievements in shipping, industry, and real estate, he is still unfamiliar with our Hutchison Whampoa affairs. Assuming that the chairman of the board of directors falls on his head this time, I hope Our management can still maintain independence. So Director Richard Richard, what do you think of my statement?"

Richard Xin said without hesitation: "President Wei Li is right! Hutchison Whampoa is already in our hands, turning losses into profits, and achieving very good results. This fully shows that our management is very good." . It is true that Lin Zhichao is the major shareholder, but after all, he is a Chinese. It is very difficult to manage a company with all Western employees. I support your view."

Of course, he also had an idea in his mind that Wei Li was just a senior executive who came in later, and he was not from the same group as them. Moreover, Weili enjoys a 2.5% profit share every year, but they do not have this part of the bonus, which is obviously unreasonable.

Richard believes that if he were the CEO of Hutchison Whampoa, he would be able to lead Hutchison Whampoa to prosper. Therefore, once there is an irreconcilable conflict between Lin Zhichao and Wei Li, he and his colleagues will not stand with Wei Li, and it will be Wei Li who has to leave, because it is impossible for the major shareholder to leave.

In fact, he had discussed with several senior colleagues that if Lin Zhichao was elected chairman of the board of directors, he would definitely be at odds with Wei Li, the CEO who holds a 2.5% profit share, so Wei Li's departure was inevitable.

"Okay, I hope you understand that only when we Westerners unite as one can we form a balance with the major shareholders. This is the best outcome for Hutchison Whampoa."

"clear"

Wei Li nodded. He was only invited by HSBC in September 1975. Hutchison Whampoa's middle and senior management were not in the same system as him. On the contrary, Richard Richard, Xia Boyin, Wei Peter and others were in Hutchison Whampoa. The owner's deep-rooted network of relationships is what he needs to unite with.

At the golf course in Discovery Bay, four rich people who are related to each other, Lin Zhichao, Tang Zhongyuan, and Lin Yunchu, are sitting together and talking. Today is the weekend, and some family members from the four families have also come to Discovery Bay Golf Club for vacation.

Since 1976, Hong Kong Industrial has invested HK$600 million in infrastructure, including Discovery Bay Golf Club and Marina, as well as reservoirs, roads, electricity, piers, beaches, etc.

As for the undersea tunnel, it is certainly not something one can afford to invest in right now. That is all a matter of the future. As a result, residents living in Discovery Bay will only be able to reach Kowloon via ferry and car ferry, because Lantau Island is an offshore island.

However, the housing in Discovery Bay still has great prospects. First of all, it is definitely cheaper than Kowloon City, and more expensive than places in the New Territories except Tsuen Wan and Shatin. After all, the main focus here is a resort-style community.

Li Gaofu said: "The first phase of the Discovery Bay project is modeled on European-style low-density luxury homes and equipped with infrastructure. To be honest, just hearing about it is very tempting; coupled with the current hot real estate industry, if it opens, it will definitely be a rush." And empty.”

Tang Zhongyuan said proudly: "We are also very confident, but the opening did not take place until the early 1980s, and the first phase was completed in 1982."

Li Gaofu asked curiously: "When will the second phase of the project be planned and started, and what kind of model will it be?"

We are all real estate developers, so it is normal to be curious. Over the years, Li Gaofu's development in the real estate field can only be said to be satisfactory. His insistence on renting 70% and selling 30% has seriously affected his development; but fortunately, he has a strong foundation and is now among the top 20 real estate developers in Hong Kong. , but ranked low.

In comparison, the Tang Zhongyuan family, which has always been advised and supported by Lin Zhichao, has developed much faster in the real estate field. Although it has only been in the real estate industry for more than ten years, if Oriental Real Estate were to be independently listed, it would rank around 10 to 15. The more well-known projects and properties include:

Oriental New Village in Taikoo Shan, a joint venture between this real estate and Cheung Kong, has a total of 2,800 residential units. It has been on sale since 1977 and is expected to bring a profit of 150 million to both parties;

Oriental Properties also owns a commercial building in the Tsim Sha Tsui tourist area, which is worth a lot of money;

Recently, it spent HK$200 million to acquire a piece of land in East Tsim Sha Tsui to build a commercial complex.

It also has some properties under construction and for sale, as well as several industrial buildings and a commercial building in Causeway Bay.

The important thing is that Oriental Real Estate already has a lot of real estate professionals. Of course, according to Tang Zhongyuan's idea, Discovery Bay will be the focus of Oriental Real Estate in the later period, while Kowloon and Hong Kong Island will mainly focus on rent-collecting properties. This is why he dismissed The reason for investing heavily in the development of a commercial building in East Tsim Sha Tsui.

Tang Zhongyuan answered Li Gaofu's question: "Phases 2, 3, 4 and 5 are residential buildings designed in a post-modern style for those who need it most! The second and third phases of the project will also start next year, and it is expected to be in the early 1980s. Sale."

Lin Zhichao smiled and nodded. This was of course Lin Zhichao's suggestion.

The first phase of the project is low-density luxury homes, targeting wealthy people who can enjoy the benefits of resort-style residences by buying here.

Originally, according to Tang Zhongyuan's idea, low-density luxury homes were still selected for the second and third phases, and construction started in the 1980s; but obviously, once planned this way, the second and third phases were sold at a time when Hong Kong real estate was in turmoil (since By the end of 1981, it was expected to be unsaleable). In addition, it was a low-density luxury house for investment, so it was obvious that it would simply become unsaleable.

Lin Zhichao’s idea is that the modernly designed houses after Phase 2345 are what the immediate users need. When the second and third phases were sold, it was estimated to be in early 1981. At that time, the housing price in Hong Kong and Kowloon was more than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars per square foot, so there was naturally a lot of demand for choosing the cheaper Discovery Bay phases 2 and 3.

Hong Kong Industrial was able to survive the real estate downturn by relying on the profits from the sale of the third phase of the project. And relying on its two major backers (Oriental Group and Cheung Kong Group), it was able to delay the sale of the fourth and fifth phases until after 1985.

Li Gaofu said with envy: "This Discovery Bay will probably have more than 20 phases of projects, and the development time will be as long as 30 to 40 years. By then, Hong Kong real estate will have already soared into the sky. It's like Uncle Tang, your family has a golden rooster that lays eggs." !”

He felt a little regretful in his heart. If he had not fled to Canada for more than a year, Fuhe Real Estate would not have reached the top twenty real estate developers (calculated by market value). You know, Fuhe Real Estate was one of the top ten real estate developers in the late 1950s.

Of course, most of the top ten real estate developers at the time fell behind, but Changshi Real Estate never lost its dominance.

Tang Zhongyuan smiled and said nothing. Discovery Bay was indeed his most important project. It was more like a family heirloom.

Later, Tang Zhongyuan asked: "Zhichao, China and the United States have established diplomatic relations. What do you think of the mainland market?"

Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "There is a lot to do!"

He didn't say much, but Tang Zhongyuan already understood everything. He knew his son-in-law. In the past thirty years, his son-in-law had always kept a distance from the mainland and did not want to get involved at all. But since his trip to the capital in October, his son-in-law has always been confident when talking about the mainland.

Li Gaofu said: "If the mainland opens up, it will undoubtedly be a good thing for you industrialists. The mainland's cheap labor and land, once fully utilized, will be a good thing for both parties."

Lin Zhichao said: "Indeed, it should be in the 1980s that we should have a chance."

A worker in Hong Kong costs 1,500 Hong Kong dollars per month (manufacturing industry), while a worker in the Mainland only costs less than 100 Hong Kong dollars. There is a huge price difference.

At this time, retired Lin Yunchu said: "Zhichao, there is news from the mainland that our ancestral graves were not torn down, but moved."

Lin Zhichao said with a livid face: "I'm afraid they are not telling the truth. They just need to temporarily build some fake ancestral graves to deceive those of us who can help them. If this is the case, if we go home to worship our ancestors, wouldn't we be offering incense to others? ."

Everyone can feel Lin Zhichao's anger. It is a great lack of virtue to rip off people's ancestral graves!

Lin Yunchu said: "Why don't you ask your aunt's children to come to Hong Kong and we will ask them personally."

He is also seventy years old this year. He is lying when he says he doesn’t want to go home. That is his root.

Lin Zhichao said: "Okay, leave this matter to my second uncle and let the two aunts' families investigate clearly, and then arrange for them to come to work and live in Hong Kong, if they are willing."

A sense of hope arose in his heart. I told him back then that the incident of the ancestral grave being stolen was just from a distant relative from the same hometown who was not very close to him. Maybe the grave was really moved.

Even if the tomb was stripped, the bones were picked up by relatives in his hometown, and the tomb was moved, Lin Zhichao recognized it as an ancestral tomb.

"Well, no matter what, it really needs to be investigated."

Afterwards, everyone stopped discussing this topic. Everyone's feelings of homesickness can be buried deep in their hearts and only come out occasionally.

After a while, everyone decided to play golf.

When passing by the club, the four of them saw Lin Ruikai getting along with a young woman, and they suddenly smiled knowingly.

Lin Ruikai is the third son of Lin Zhichao's eldest son, and currently serves as a department manager in a media group; the young woman is Li Bingqian, the youngest daughter of Li Gaofu and his first wife, Chen Shufang (there are two sons and two daughters in this house). She just graduated from a foreign university this year (1978). Returned to Hong Kong after graduation.

Tang Zhongyuan smiled and said: "It's time to prepare for the marriage of these two young people. They have been childhood sweethearts since they were young. They are well-matched and close to each other. It is a match made in heaven."

The so-called close relationship is actually that Lin Zhichao and Li Gaofu are distant cousins, and their mothers are cousins. Therefore, Lin Ruikai and Li Bingqian are considered relatives in the fifth server, and they can definitely get married.

Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "Brother Gao Fu, what do you think, when will Ruikai come to your house to propose marriage?"

Li Gaofu responded with a smile: "Any time, I'm just watching the kids grow up!"

He didn't need to curry favor with Lin Zhichao, but he had never stopped his children from dating since they were young. It would be great if he could marry into the Lin family, but it wouldn't matter if he couldn't. But now, the relationship between the two is so good, naturally Lin Ruikai is also the best son-in-law.

However, according to his cousin's arrangement, it seems that his son-in-law will take over the media group in the future, and it seems that he will not get as much as his brothers. Of course, this kind of thing is understandable. This son-in-law also graduated from a world-famous school, and the media group is also valuable. He controls Hong Kong's media, film, publishing and other industries, and he still has influence.

Lin Zhichao said: "Okay, I will ask the boy to come to the door later later. The proper etiquette is indispensable."

In this way, the fourth and fifth children are married. Lin Ruikai is the fourth child and Lin Ruidong is the fifth child. Lin Ruidong is in a relationship with a girl from the Rockefeller family, and someone else will graduate from Harvard next year.

Lin Zhichao has no worries about this marriage.

His current career layout cannot be suppressed by any government. After all, he has built up layers of defense armor. Of course, he would not be crazy enough to go against a country, he would just make a comparison.