Chapter 140 Hong Kong's Business Tycoons
Chapter 140 Hong Kong's Business Tycoons
"Hello, Mr. Liao." Yang Wendong also greeted him with a smile and said, "Congratulations to Liao Chong Hing Bank for acquiring a new headquarters building. I think your bank will soon become the number one Chinese bank in Hong Kong."
In fact, if the bank run in 1961 had not occurred, this might have actually become a reality.
Although Liao Baoshan used funds to invest in real estate, his profits from real estate were also very successful. In other words, this operating method that violated the conventional "Banking Law" was actually making continuous profits.
However, opening a bank to invest in real estate and borrowing money to invest in real estate are two different things.
In the latter case, even if you suffer huge losses in real estate investment, the bank cannot force you to repay the debt immediately. Instead, it may try to avoid your bankruptcy as much as possible.
But in the former case, even if your business is operating normally and making huge profits, once a rumor comes out and everyone runs a run on the bank, even a bank without any high-risk operations will not be able to withstand it, because banks absolutely cannot refuse depositors' requests to withdraw money.
Liao Liewen was obviously very happy to hear this, but he still smiled modestly and said, "Mr. Yang, thank you for the compliment. Our Liao Chong Hing Bank is still far behind Hang Seng. Mr. Yang, on the other hand, is now known as the King of Post-it Notes and is well-known in Hong Kong and Kowloon."
"Haha, I have to thank Liao Chong Hing Bank for this." Yang Wendong said: "Now the media has basically dug up a lot of information. If it weren't for Liao Chong Hing Bank's early 100-yuan account opening policy, even if I could still succeed today, it wouldn't be so fast."
Even with Elena's help, if he didn't have a bank account, he probably wouldn't have been able to get a slightly larger order from the government. That's the rule. If you can't even apply for a bank account, how can the government or big companies cooperate with you?
Liao Liewen said with a smile: "Mr. Yang is too modest. This kind of small matter will only cause a little trouble at most, but it won't be difficult for you."
"But it is also a convenience." Yang Wendong said again.
"That's good." Liao Liewen then said, "Mr. Yang, the reason you applied for a loan before was indeed because our bank could not raise so much funds in a short period of time, but it should be much better in the future. I hope Mr. Yang will consider our bank again next time he needs it."
"Okay." Yang Wendong nodded and said, if it does not involve deposits and is just a loan, then there is naturally no problem. After all, it is a loan no matter where you borrow it. If the interest rate is appropriate, there is naturally no problem. Even if Liao Chongxing Bank encounters a crisis in the future, it will not affect the loan.
As for deposits, he has already opened accounts in Hang Seng Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC Bank, and will gradually transfer funds to these three banks in the future.
Liao Liewen smiled. He also knew that everyone was just talking casually at the moment. Then he said, "Then please come in, Mr. Yang. There are not many people inside at the moment. Some industrialists from Hong Kong have already come. Perhaps you can make a few more friends."
"Okay." Yang Wendong nodded. Among the industrialists of a certain scale in Hong Kong, he didn't know any other people except the boss of Dongsheng.
Walking into the venue, Yang Wendong looked carefully and saw that there were at least 30 tables in the conference hall. However, the tables only took up half of the entire area, and the rest was empty. Groups of people who seemed to know each other gathered in groups of three or four.
Outside the venue, there is a large balcony with bright lights on and several people standing outside chatting.
On the other side of the conference hall, there were several tables, filled with all kinds of luxuriously packaged fine wines. Yang Wendong saw that he didn't recognize anyone there, so he walked towards the wine table.
After getting closer, he found that there were white and red wines on the table. Here, he also found Moutai, but the packaging was different from the previous life, and it still had a cork on top. This made Yang Wendong a little curious about the difference between its current taste and that of decades later.
"Sir, do you like Moutai very much?" At this time, a voice came from behind. Yang Wendong turned around and saw that it was a middle-aged man about 35 years old.
The middle-aged man was a little surprised when he saw Yang Wendong's face, but he didn't say anything.
Yang Wendong also smiled politely and said, "I guess so."
In his previous life, he didn't like drinking very much. He only drank a little in some special circumstances and had no interest in it. Even in the 21st century, he only knew a few well-known brands.
Relatively speaking, he still likes Moutai more. When he has no choice but to drink, he often chooses Moutai. One reason is that it is famous, and the other is that he feels it tastes better.
"I like Moutai too. Fortunately, domestic stores can now sell mainland supplies, otherwise it would be terrible." The middle-aged man said with a smile.
Yang Wendong nodded and said, "Chinese stores have indeed brought a lot of convenience to Hong Kong citizens."
The British were able to keep Hong Kong not because of their strength, but because the mainland deliberately wanted Hong Kong to become a window to the outside world, especially because it needed to earn foreign exchange.
After the 50s, domestic stores were established in Hong Kong, bringing in many materials from the mainland to sell in exchange for foreign exchange. This is also the main business of China Resources Group, the most famous state-owned enterprise in the past, in Hong Kong.
From light industrial products, tea, wine, porcelain, wooden furniture and so on, everything is available and the prices are cheap. In this era, Hong Kong people can be said to have enjoyed the benefits of cheap materials from the mainland, otherwise their lives would be more tiring.
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "My name is Chen Yunnan, and I'm the boss of Yunnan Electronics Factory."
"My name is Yang Wendong, and I'm the boss of Changxing Industrial." Yang Wendong did not hide anything and said directly.
We all came here to get to know the middle and high-end people in Hong Kong's business circle, so there is naturally nothing to hide about our names.
"Stick-it King Yang Wendong?" Chen Yunnan was shocked, and then he seemed to understand something, and said, "Excuse me, no wonder, I was wondering why such a young person came here just now."
Yang Wendong asked in return: "Are all the people here business owners? Their children won't come?"
Sometimes, at some business banquets, wealthy groups will bring their children and introduce them to some elders, colleagues or enemies to pave the way for their future.
Chen Yunan shook his head and said, "No, this time we only invited the bosses of various companies, or some people from the political and cultural circles. The Liu Chongxing Bank held this banquet this time, not only because Liu Baoshan likes it, but also to regain contact with partners."
"Pull back? What does that mean?" Yang Wendong asked curiously. Maybe 'strengthen' would be a more appropriate word?
Chen Yunnan smiled, then whispered, "Mr. Yang should know that Liao Chongxing Bank is using its own funds to invest in real estate, right?"
"I know. This is not a secret." Yang Wendong nodded and said, not to mention the wealthy group, even ordinary people with some connections know about this matter, and even several newspapers have reported on this matter.
Chen Yunan said: “It is because of this that many companies that cooperated with Liao Chongxing Bank have begun to withdraw. We are not stupid about the risks of this thing.
If Liao Baoshan wins, we will not benefit. If he loses, our funds will be gone. Do you think the bosses of the companies are fools? Especially since there are real estate companies here, they are all competitors. "
"That's right, we are all smart people." Yang Wendong also understood.
Although they don't know the future, they have all been in the business world for decades. Your bank's way of playing is of no benefit to me, so why should I follow you and take risks?
Chen Yunan added, "It's just that Liao Chong Hing Bank is much stronger than other banks in terms of loan quotas, and Liao Baoshan's real estate business is also very large, so some of our companies cannot do without it, and we are in an awkward position."
"So that's how it is." Yang Wendong smiled and asked, "Lu Sheng, your company is an electronics company, what does it do?"
Chen Yunnan shook his head and said, "It's just a sign. It says it's electronics, but it actually produces flashlights."
"That's not bad. It's considered a home appliance. The market should be huge." Yang Wendong said with a smile. A flashlight can be considered a home appliance. In the era of poverty, this thing can be said to be a treasure in the family. Otherwise, it would be pitch black at night and you couldn't see anything. There would be safety hazards if you tried to light a fire.
In the 50s and 60s, it is estimated that most people in the world did not have electricity in their homes. It is easy to imagine how big the market would be for electrical appliances that could provide lighting.
Chen Yunnan said: "The market is indeed big, but the money earned is hard-earned. There are too many manufacturers of flashlights, not only in Hong Kong, but also in other places. This thing has a simple structure and anyone with a little money can make it.
In addition, Hong Kong trading houses control the export channels, and we also sell our goods to a few big foreign companies, and we also need to bid internally, so life is not easy. "
"It's really hard to do without channels." Yang Wendong nodded. Channels are king. Hong Kong factories can only make a little money from hard work in this era. Chen Yunnan smiled and said, "It's not as good as Mr. Yang, who can directly contact overseas distributors."
"It's just a special product." Yang Wendong stopped talking about himself and asked, "How many electronics companies are there in Hong Kong now? I saw that in the export data from the customs, the proportion of electronic products is very small, less than 0.5%."
"Not many, and we only make the simplest electrical appliances, like our flashlights and switches. We can't make anything more complicated," said Chen Yunnan.
Yang Wendong asked again: "What about the radio?"
Chen Yunnan shook his head and said, "The radio cannot be made, but I heard that a large Japanese company is planning to build a radio factory in Hong Kong, but I don't know the details."
"Oh, thank you for letting me know." Yang Wendong also knew about it. It seemed that the Japanese were preparing to invest in Hong Kong in order to enter the Commonwealth market.
It was the continuous investment from small Japanese electronics companies that drove the development of Hong Kong's electronics industry. Although they later went out of business, once the seeds were planted, Hong Kong's electronics industry was able to take root and sprout on its own.
Chen Yunnan asked curiously, "Mr. Yang is interested in the electronics industry?"
"No, I'm just asking. I think Hong Kong's industry should not be limited to the most low-end products without technology." Yang Wendong smiled and said, "Look at countries like Europe, America and Japan, they are all from low-end to high-end, and the electronics industry is the top priority.
Therefore, Lu Sheng should also seize the opportunity to upgrade and make more advanced electronic products. As long as the products are made, there is hope that they can get rid of the control of foreign companies and make more money. "
"Haha~" Chen Yunnan smiled and said, "It's easy to say. I still want to build cars, but I don't have the ability. I'd better find a way to do my current business well."
"That's right." Yang Wendong said nothing else. Not everyone has the ambition to expand their business endlessly.
Most of them have almost stopped at a certain point due to limitations in capabilities and ambitions, because the risks are too great. Take the most well-known chip research and development in the past as an example. Only Huawei was successful, while several other mobile phone companies invested hundreds of billions but didn’t even see a splash.
Chen Yunnan did not ask any more questions, and then took out a business card and said, "Mr. Yang, I am very happy to meet you today. This is my business card. If you have time, you can come to visit my factory. My factory is in North Point."
"Okay." Yang Wendong took the business card, then took out one of his own and said, "Same for Lu Sheng. Come sit with me when you have time."
"OK." Chen Yunnan smiled, said a few words and left.
Yang Wendong saw that Chen Yunnan had gone to look for other people again. It seemed that he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get more familiar with the people in the Hong Kong circle.
He actually had the same idea, but he didn't want to get to know them one by one. He would wait until he got to know them better.
Half an hour passed like this, and Yang Wendong had more than a dozen business cards in his hands. Everyone got to know each other through chatting, and when they learned that Yang Wendong was the "Post-it Note King" who was recently in the limelight, many people hurried to make friends with him.
After a while, Liao Liewen seemed to come in from the door. Maybe it was because the time was almost up and everyone who should have come had arrived. However, there was another person with him, someone Yang Wendong had never seen before, but was familiar with.
Liao Liewen stepped forward and said to Yang Wendong, “Mr. Yang, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Li from Cheung Kong Industries. Two years ago, the media called him the King of Plastic Flowers.
Mr. Li, this is Mr. Yang, the sticky note king who is very popular recently. "
Li Jiacheng took the initiative to shake hands and said with a smile: "Hello, Mr. Yang, I have heard of your great name for a long time."
"I have long heard of Mr. Li's great name." Yang Wendong also responded in kind.
Without considering what Li Jiacheng did in the following decades, just looking at this era, he was still very impressive. A type of plastic flower exploded the Hong Kong market and was subsequently exported on a large scale, making him a multi-millionaire. At the same time, it also led to the transformation of other plastic factories in Hong Kong and they also started making plastic flowers.
Liao Liewen said with a smile: "Mr. Yang, I just ran into Mr. Li at the door. I accidentally said that you were here too, and then he asked me to come over and introduce him."
"If it were me, I would do the same." Yang Wendong nodded and said, of course, this was just to save face for everyone.
If he meets people like Li Jiacheng and Pao Yugang, it would be fine to get to know them, but it would be a different story if he were to take the initiative to go. He is too lazy to go, and there is nothing to cooperate with. Even if he does shipping or real estate himself one day, he will most likely be a competitor.
Liao Liewen added: "Then the two 'kings' can have a good chat. I have something else to do, so I will leave first."
"Okay." Yang Wendong replied politely, then looked at Li Jiacheng and suddenly realized that there seemed to be nothing to say.
Li Jiacheng seemed to have discovered the problem as well, but he took out a business card calmly and said, "Mr. Yang, this business card is mine. If there is any opportunity for cooperation in the future, you can come to me."
"Okay." Yang Wendong naturally would not give him face, and then he gave his business card to Li Jiacheng, saying with a smile: "The span of our two industries seems to be a bit large."
Li Jiacheng said: "It's nothing. Everyone chooses different directions when they start their business. But it's hard to say what will happen in the future. Hong Kong is so small, maybe there will be opportunities."
"That's right." Yang Wendong nodded.
The two people's industries have nothing to do with each other at the moment, so there is basically no possibility of cooperation, and it is even difficult to be hostile.
As far as Yang Wendong knows, Li Jiacheng will soon enter the real estate industry, but he has always been very low-key and specializes in acquiring properties in marginal areas.
I will also enter the real estate industry in the future. Although there will be competition, there will be no conflict for a long time, because the primary opponent is naturally British capital. Only after defeating British capital can we become rivals. However, this will take at least a long time.
Li Jiacheng said again: "Come on, Mr. Yang, this should be your first time attending such a banquet, and you have just started your own business. Let me introduce you to everyone present."
"Everyone? Is that necessary?" Yang Wendong asked back. There seemed to be more than a hundred people at the scene. If he was asked to get to know them all, he would not be able to remember them all.
Li Jiacheng said with a smile: "Mr. Yang, maybe I didn't explain it clearly. I'm not going to take you there, but I'm just pointing it out for you here. If you are interested, you can go and make friends."
"Okay." Yang Wendong thought this was a good idea after hearing it.
Otherwise, it would be too abrupt to just go over and ask for acquaintance. It's not that he can't do such a thing. This was normal when he was a salesperson in his previous life. It's just that there is no need to do so now.
His business has little to do with the people present. By coming here, he can find a few people worth making friends with, and then get to know them and leave an impression.
Li Jiacheng continued, "Well, that one is Li Qingsheng, the boss of Qingsheng Industrial. His factory mainly produces socks and gloves. The one over there is Wang Yuewen from Henghe Industrial. His factory mainly produces plastic hangers. The one over there is..."
Li Jiacheng stood beside Yang Wendong and introduced them to him one by one.
Yang Wendong also listened one by one. Basically, they were all factories with low technical content, but some of them were indeed large in scale, with as many as six or seven hundred employees.
Suddenly, Li Jiacheng said to a man in his 30s: "Mr. Yang, you don't know that man, but you must have heard of his name. He is Jin Yong."
PS: Please give me a monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)