Chapter 234 Purchase of a -ton New Freighter

Chapter 234 Purchase of a -ton New Freighter

Chapter 234 Purchase of a -ton New Freighter

"Invest in global shipping?" Bao Yugang was a little surprised and asked, "Why? Mr. Yang has the funds to invest in his own shipping company. Wouldn't it be better to buy one more ship?"

Yang Wendong replied, "I'm in the shipping business because I'm optimistic about the shipping market, but I want to invest in Baosheng because I'm optimistic about you. I think that with your ability and management style, you can become the future shipping king sooner or later."

"Thank you for the compliment." Bao Yugang was a little happy when he heard Yang Wendong say that: "But since you think highly of my method, why don't you learn from it as well?"

Yang Wendong shook his head and said, "What I saw was just the surface. I can only say that I am optimistic about Bao Sheng, but for me to follow Bao Sheng in doing this is another matter.

There are so many successful people and successful companies in the world, and their entrepreneurial history is also known to the public, but how many people can learn to succeed? "

Take supermarkets for example. In this industry that does not require a lot of skills, many workers often dream of opening a small shop to retire.
However, there are only a few brands such as Walmart, Auchan and Costco that can succeed. When the competition in supermarket entrepreneurship was fierce, many peers wanted to learn and even tried their best to poach people from these companies and copy their successful models, but all failed in the end.

There are too many factors that contribute to a person's success. The long-term rental model does play a big role in Bao Yugang's success. Outsiders may also be successful by learning from him, but it is absolutely impossible to reach Bao Yugang's level.

Bao Yugang said with a smile: "Mr. Yang, you are praising me too much. I am also very happy that you want to invest in Global Shipping, but I have no plans to accept investment recently."

Although he was rejected, Yang Wendong didn't care. Instead, he said, "Bao Sheng, my investment requirements are not high. Ten points is enough. The price is negotiable."

Bao Yugang thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Yang, let me think about it, how about that?"

"Okay." Yang Wendong did not expect that one meeting would be successful. After all, Bao Yugang's business was going well now. He was not like Walmart which had fallen into operational difficulties before, which gave Yang Wendong the opportunity to invest.

Bao Yugang added: "That's it for today. It can be regarded as a great cooperation with Mr. Yang."

"Okay, I hope we can cooperate often in the future." Yang Wendong nodded and said.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while and then said goodbye to each other.

After leaving the Peninsula Hotel, Yang Wendong came to Geely Building, naturally to find Zheng Yuhua and Bao Yugang's affairs, which were all related to the shipping company.

"Mr. Yang." Upon learning that the boss had arrived, Zheng Yuhua personally went to the elevator entrance to greet him.

Yang Wendong nodded and said, "I have something to tell you. Go to the conference room over there."

"Okay." After Zheng Yuhua agreed, she followed Yang Wendong with her assistant.

After entering the meeting room, Yang Wendong told Zheng Yuhua the two things Bao Yugang said.

After listening to this, Zheng Yuhua said: "Dockyard cooperation is not a problem. It is also good for us to lock in a customer. If there is a discount, we can give it. This is normal.

As for this maritime academy, it is really far-sighted. There are so many shipping companies in Hong Kong, but none of them have thought of building such an academy, either training new people themselves or poaching people from other industries. ”

Yang Wendong said, "Yes, I haven't thought about this question. Bao Yugang is very far-sighted. We should always collect some information about his actions in the future. It's not about personal secrets, but some actions in the shipping industry."

Although he knew history, he only knew that the Middle East crisis of 67 would be a great opportunity;

For other time periods, it is not so clear. We only know that shipping can always make money, but it is not clear how to maximize the profits.

By understanding the actions of a future shipping tycoon, you may be able to obtain some useful information from his behavior.

"Okay." Zheng Yuhua agreed.

Yang Wendong asked again: "What's the news about the new ship in Japan?"

Zheng Yuhua replied: "I went to Japan and communicated with several Japanese shipyards. Their ships are generally divided into two categories.

One is the common standard type, which is cheaper, faster to produce, and complies with the laws of many countries; the other is customized, which depends on user needs, and this type is generally slower and requires design verification. "

"How long does it take to build a standard model?" Yang Wendong asked.

Zheng Yuhua replied: "It usually takes about a year, and at the fastest it can take ten months."

"Is there any relevant information?" Yang Wendong asked again.

"Yes, we have prepared it a long time ago." After Zheng Yuhua finished speaking, her assistant handed over a piece of introductory material.

"Chinese version? The Japanese shipyard really took a lot of effort." Yang Wendong said with a smile after seeing the introduction cover.

Zheng Yuhua said: "Hong Kong shipowners can be said to be the largest customer group of Japanese shipyards. Even British shipowners have begun to stop ordering ships from the UK or Europe and choose cheaper Japanese ships instead."

Yang Wendong didn't rush to look at the information, but asked: "Now the prices of European and American shipyards are higher than those of Japan, so what advantages do they have now?"

"There are actually quite a few advantages." Zheng Yuhua thought for a while and said, "Japanese ships are cheap, mainly because the labor cost is much lower, and the Japanese are willing to work hard, so the delivery time of the ships is also relatively short;
However, Japan’s shipbuilding technology is still not as good as that of Europe and the United States, especially for large oil tankers, large cargo ships, or some special ships. The experience and technology of Japanese shipyards are still not good enough.”

"Yeah," Yang Wendong nodded.

This is normal. The technological development of this kind of heavy industry takes a long time. It took many years for the mainland to become the world's number one in the past. Japan is still in the development stage.

Zheng Yuhua asked again: "Mr. Yang, are you considering going to Europe and America to look at ships?"

"No, just asking." Yang Wendong shook his head.

Perhaps the current high-tech shipbuilding capabilities of Europe and the United States will be useful in the future, but it is definitely impossible for him to go to Europe and the United States to build ships now.

"For the cargo ships we generally use in Hong Kong, the ones from Japan are the most cost-effective, unless you want to buy some special ships." Zheng Yuhua said with a smile.

"A normal cargo ship will do." Yang Wendong said nothing more, but started looking at the information in his hand.

Zheng Yuhua said, "Mr. Yang, let me introduce it to you. I won't introduce these materials in detail because the paper size is limited."

"Okay." Yang Wendong agreed naturally. It was such a headache to read the materials and understand some professional terms.

Afterwards, Zheng Yuhua spent more than ten minutes introducing the different ship types of several shipyards.

After the end, Zheng Yuhua said: "Mr. Yang, we are more optimistic about this 1.5-ton DC267 bulk carrier. This is a product of the latest technology of Japan's Mitsubishi Shipyard. The previous generation has very stable quality and is very fuel-efficient;

Most importantly, the interior space is very well designed, which can accommodate a lot of goods, and the deck is relatively flat, so it will be easy to convert it into a container ship if necessary."

"Is it very fuel-efficient?" Yang Wendong asked.

"It saves 5% compared to the previous generation." Zheng Yuhua said: "Mr. Yang, don't underestimate this 5%. If you run more, you can save hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars a year.

And the biggest significance of reducing fuel consumption is not the fuel cost, but the ability to extend the driving range and reduce the load.”

"Well, it looks good." Yang Wendong looked at the price and said, "It's just a bit expensive, one ship costs 180 million US dollars."

Zheng Yuhua said: "This price is indeed not cheap, but the price of a cargo ship is like this. If a cargo ship with this configuration and performance is in Europe or the United States, it would probably cost between 200 million and 250 million US dollars.

The sales manager of Mitsubishi Shipyard also told me that if I buy a lot, there will be a discount." "Buy a lot?" Yang Wendong smiled and asked, "If I buy a lot, can I rent it out?"

Although the factories under his own name also have a lot of transportation needs, the goods are relatively light and the routes are fixed, so old ships can be used. It would be a waste to invest in new ships.

The biggest advantage of the new ship is its flexibility and stability. It is more suitable for the transportation requirements between large companies in those countries, and it is most cost-effective to lease it out.

Zheng Yuhua replied: “The shipping market is constantly changing. Based on my analysis of the current trend, in the next three years, there will still be a shortage of cargo ships.

Global trade will also increase. In particular, the United States has been promoting global trade, and even Britain has had to gradually give in. Once global trade increases, the demand for ships will only increase exponentially. "

"Okay, then you can consider buying more." Yang Wendong nodded.

Before 67, the more ships you have, the better, but you also have to consider the operations before 67. If you buy multiple ships, you need to utilize them all. It would be best if you can get your investment back in the first few years. This is also the norm for shipping companies.

Zheng Yuhua added: "Mitsubishi also said that their partner bank will also lend us money, but it can only provide a maximum of 50% collateral, and we also need to sign an agreement:
If we default, they have the right to seize our ships anywhere in the world, and other banks are second-tier creditors."

"5% is no problem. HSBC has also promised to support me." Yang Wendong said with a smile, "No wonder Hong Kong banks don't participate in shipping. Japanese banks have this kind of compulsory agreement, but banks here don't have much collateral."

Zheng Yuhua agreed and said, "Yes, and even if the ship is mortgaged to a Hong Kong bank, even HSBC cannot do what the Japanese bank did and seize overseas ships.

Although Hong Kong is backed by Britain, it is still just a city and its international status is far inferior to that of Japan. "

"Have other people signed this agreement?" Yang Wendong asked again.

Zheng Yuhua said: "Basically, they have all been signed, except for loans from Japanese banks."

"Then we should do the same." Yang Wendong nodded. Even if there was no such clause, if one of his businesses defaulted on the bank, he would not be able to refuse to rescue it, let alone default on the debt, otherwise his business reputation would be completely lost.

"Okay, now we can directly discuss the issue of buying a boat." Zheng Yuhua said again.

Yang Wendong said: "Let's arrange a trip to Japan first. I will definitely check out the ship."

"Okay, I'll arrange it." Zheng Yuhua agreed.

A few days later, at the Yang Family Villa:

Yang Wendong came to the bedroom and saw Su Yiyi who was still playing with the child. At this moment, she was using two fingers to tease the child, and then she sat up herself, having a lot of fun.

"I can't bear to leave my child." Yang Wendong said with a smile, and he moved closer and put his hand forward, letting the child choose his own finger.

Su Yiyi nodded and said, "Yes, I'm a little reluctant."

"It's only a few days. There are so many people watching over the family. It's okay." Yang Wendong said, "In fact, we are the only ones who have the choice. Many ordinary people can't possibly accompany their children every day."

Su Yiyi will also go to Japan to see the ships this time, but after some discussion, they decide not to bring the children with them. The main reason is that the children are too young. Although there will be many people to take care of them along the way, they may get sick due to the change of environment.

"Yeah." Su Yiyi nodded and said.

On October 10, Yang Wendong, Su Yiyi, Zheng Yuhua and more than a dozen professional and technical personnel from Changxing Shipping contracted an airplane and went to the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Factory in Osaka City.

Japan is very close to Hong Kong. After getting off the plane, everyone rushed directly to the shipyard and went to see a DC267 cargo ship that was almost completed. It was also the one that Zheng Yuhua had originally favored.

Yang Wendong and Su Yiyi just looked at the appearance and a pile of records on paper, while the technical staff would have to spend a lot of time to gain an in-depth understanding, which might take several days.

Therefore, Yang Wendong brought Su Yiyi with him and came to downtown Osaka after discussing with the people from Mitsubishi Shipyard.

"Brother Dong, there are so many Chinese characters here. Even though I don't understand Japanese, I can roughly know what these stores are." Su Yiyi asked.

Yang Wendong smiled and said, "It's normal. Japanese culture came from China in ancient times, and the same is true for South Korea."

In Yang Wendong's previous life, Japanese and Korean had begun to eliminate Chinese characters decades ago. In this era, Japanese and Korean characters contain a large amount of Chinese. Although the pronunciations are different, the meanings of many characters can be guessed.

"There's a big clothing store over there, let's go take a look." Su Yiyi said, pointing in a direction.

"Okay." Yang Wendong nodded. He and Su Yiyi came to the city not just for fun.

What is more important is to understand firsthand how clothing stores and large shopping malls in Japan operate. Hong Kong's future economy will, to a certain extent, be similar to Japan's current economy.

Although they are all bosses and have professional people under them, they also need to be familiar with some things, especially Yang Wendong. He knows that the shopping mall operation model in the next few decades may not be suitable for this era.

We still need to learn from each other's strengths and overcome our weaknesses.

After staying in Osaka for several days, Zheng Yuhua and others also visited several shipyards to gain a better understanding of different innovations.

On October 10, in a hotel in Osaka, Zheng Yuhua said to Yang and Su: "Mr. Yang, we are still optimistic about Mitsubishi's DC26 cargo ship. In terms of price, fuel consumption and quality, it is the most cost-effective."

"Well, then let's start the next round of price and cycle negotiations. The faster the cycle, the better." Yang Wendong nodded and said, "But we can't ignore the other companies. We should keep them hanging for a while to lower the price."

"I understand. The other companies will communicate with each other as well." Zheng Yuhua added, "But the Japanese actually have a tacit understanding with each other. If they didn't want to grab the market share of European and American shipyards, they would have raised the price together."

"This is normal business. Who wouldn't want to monopolize if they can?" Yang Wendong smiled and said, "Isn't the highest level of business monopoly?"

At this moment, the doorbell outside the hotel rang, and Zheng Yuhua said, "It should be Shigenobu Fukada, the deputy general manager of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding."

"Open the door." Yang Wendong nodded. He had seen this man before. He was the person in charge of external sales business at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.

After Zheng Yuhua stood up and opened the door, a man in his 50s walked in, bowed to Yang Wendong and said, "Hello, Mr. Yang."

"Please sit down." Yang Wendong gestured.

Hong Kong is a major customer group for the small Japanese shipyards, so their sales staff naturally speak Chinese. It is not difficult for the Japanese to learn Chinese, especially in this era when Chinese characters have not yet been completely eliminated.

"Thank you." Shigenobu Fukada bowed again and then sat down.

"Mr. Yang, thank you very much for your trust in our company." Fukada Shigenobu said, "We came here today because we hope to have a better understanding of our customers' needs."

"Okay, we also have some questions that we would like to discuss with you." Yang Wendong nodded and said.

Afterwards, several people had a detailed discussion on issues such as technology, price, and loans from a local Japanese bank (the same bank as the shipping company or with a very close relationship).

Half an hour later, Fukada Shigenobu asked, "Mr. Yang, I wonder how many cargo ships you plan to buy this time."

Yang Wendong stretched out his right hand and said, "Five."

PS: Please give me a monthly ticket
I have some family matters these two days, so I will update once a day. I will make up for it by updating three times a day for a few days at the beginning of next month.

(End of this chapter)