Return to 1958 and build a century-old giant

Chapter 901 Land King Auction

On the last day in the United States, the eldest son, Yang Zhiwen, rushed from New York to Los Angeles, also preparing to return to Hong Kong with Yang Wendong;
During this trip, he spent more than half a month in mainland China and the United States, and he accomplished a lot of the group's future development plans.

Back home, Su Yiyi was very happy to see Yang Wendong and his son return, and she personally cooked a delicious meal.
"The new disease that's recently emerged in the US is quite scary, Zhiwen, you need to be careful in the future," Su Yiyi reminded him as they watched TV together after dinner.

Yang Zhiwen replied, "Mom, don't worry, I know. Dad knows about this too, and he's arranged a private hospital for me."

Yang Wendong laughed and said, "Don't worry, the media is just exaggerating. In reality, very few people have it."

HIV appeared as it has appeared in history, causing panic in the United States. Various media outlets seized upon the rumors, attributing a host of cancers and rare diseases with unclear causes to AIDS.
Yang Wendong, who was aware of the details, was not actually very worried. The number of infected people was very small at present, and the probability of encountering someone was very low.
Of course, we still need to defend ourselves, and we still need to make the necessary preparations, including for Hong Kong in the future, which we can't escape either.
Human technology could easily defeat monsters like Godzilla if they appeared, but it's helpless against tiny viruses.

Su Yiyi said, "Oh, that's good. Your daddy is much more thoughtful than us."

The family members quickly changed the subject, but Yang Wendong fell into deep thought;
Should I also consider entering the biopharmaceutical industry?
This industry is comparable to aerospace and semiconductors, and it is extremely difficult. Even if mainland China becomes an industrial powerhouse in the future, it will still be not very good at this.
However, his own group, including finance, real estate and electronics, will experience exponential growth in the next ten years, and his wealth will grow like a snowball.

At this stage, money is just a number; Yang Wendong is more interested in the joy of career success and setting and achieving life goals.

With so many assets, it's worth trying to take on something a bit more challenging. His company isn't a country, so even if he enters an industry, he only needs to excel in one area; he doesn't need to be an all-rounder. Therefore, the investment required will be much lower.

"Let's see later, we'll talk about it when the opportunity arises." Yang Wendong quickly regained his composure: "This industry isn't one you can just enter whenever you want. We'll see what the future holds. If I really can't do it myself, investing in related companies or funding research teams would also be worthwhile."

To succeed in a particular industry, you don't necessarily have to do it yourself. If you have substantial funds, you can also invest, similar to the IT industry.

However, biopharmaceuticals have many barriers to entry, and there are relatively few suitable investments. It's hard to say whether you'll find one.
In the future, we may be able to collaborate with some teams in mainland China, with one side providing funding and the other providing talent. Once we achieve results, both sides will benefit, and the drugs we produce can also treat or help thousands of patients, which can be considered a good deed.

However, we have to wait for a domestic patent law to be enacted. Without a corresponding law, everything is just empty talk.

Time flew by and it was early August.

In Hong Kong, a major event has occurred: the land next to the Hong Lok Building, which was originally the site of the Fire Services Department, is about to be auctioned off after the Fire Services Department relocated.
Located by the sea and in the heart of Central's business district, this plot of land boasts a total area of ​​14.4 square feet, making it a true land king.

The market estimate is around HK$65 billion. In terms of price per unit, it will definitely be higher than the previous record for Cotton Tree Drive. The entire Hong Kong real estate market is waiting for this auction, hoping that it can bring new momentum to the stagnant Hong Kong real estate market.

Hongkong Land:

The two executives from Jardine Matheson and Hongkong Land sat facing each other. Niu Bijian looked at the newspaper in his hand, frowned, and said, "Yang Wendong is going to attend this auction in person? Hasn't that guy not come in person for many years?"

In its early years, when Cheung Hing Group rose to prominence, Jardine Matheson intended to compete with it. Therefore, in the early 70s, the two companies clashed in several areas.
However, with the snowballing growth of Changxing Group and its remarkable achievements overseas, Jardine Matheson Group had long been abandoned, as had HSBC, because the gap in all aspects was too great.

Fortunately, after the mid-70s, Cheung Hing Group focused its efforts on overseas markets and the Hong Kong local real estate market, which mainly involved managing the land it had purchased in the early years. It rarely participated in the Hong Kong government's auctions, and even when it did, it was handled by a professional manager named Cheng Chi-kit.

“I guess it’s because this piece of land is just too attractive,” said Paul Woolf, tycoon of Hongkong Land. “Within the Central area, unless there is land reclamation, it will be impossible to find another plot of land this size.”

Even with land reclamation, it would be difficult to create such a large area. It's likely that Yang Wendong intends to acquire this land.

“That’s true. And another thing is that this piece of land is right next to the Kang Le Building.” Niu Bijian said with a smile, “I was thinking that if we take over this land and build a taller building next to their building, Yang Wendong would probably be very unhappy.”

“We won’t benefit from competing with him,” Bobby warned. “Besides, we are far inferior to him in terms of financial resources. How can we compete then?”

“Judging from Yang Wendong’s previous actions, he doesn’t seem very optimistic about the future of the real estate industry, so we still have a chance.” Niu Bijian thought for a moment and said, “How about this, let’s go find Zheng Zhijie. This guy took our benefits before, so he has to give us something in return.”

"Haha, good, I'll go contact him through the secret channels right away." Bao Fuda said with a smile, "No matter how capable Yang Wendong is, he can't imagine that we've already bribed his people."

Kang Le Building:

Zheng Zhijie arrived at Yang Wendong's office and said, "Mr. Yang, Bao Fuda contacted me. I guess they want me to reveal our group's bottom line for that piece of land."

"Let's not talk about the bottom price yet. I still need to try to raise the price as much as possible to get Landsea to take the bait." After thinking for a moment, Yang Wendong said, "How about this, you guys agree on a hand signal, that you will remind them when I'm about to give up. Also, you need to find out their bottom price, otherwise I'm afraid the plan will fall apart."

“Okay, I’ll go right away,” Zheng Zhijie said with a smile. A few hours later, in a private room of a small restaurant in Admiralty, Hong Kong:
After Zheng Zhijie met with Bao Fuda, he told him his requirements. Bao Fuda frowned and asked, "Didn't Yang Wendong set a maximum price?"

“No, as you know, this is the largest plot of land in Central, and there may not be another one for decades to come. It’s normal for Mr. Yang to want it.” Zheng Zhijie replied, “Perhaps he has a figure in mind, but he didn’t tell me. After all, he will personally participate in this auction, and I’m just a follower.”

Bobby frowned and asked, "Then how do we cooperate?"

"We'll see how things go then," Zheng Zhijie said. "Once Yang Sheng gives up the auction, I'll scratch the back of my head. You guys keep a close eye on my movements. Once I do that, you just need to raise the price a little more and you can get the land."

"In that case, there's too much uncertainty," said Bobby.

“How can there be such a sure thing when it involves a project worth billions? With my cooperation, the probability of you winning this land is already very high. What more do you want?” Zheng Zhijie asked rhetorically.

Bobby didn't speak, but nodded.

Zheng Zhijie then asked, "Mr. Bao, would it be convenient for you to tell me your company's price? It doesn't need to be very accurate, just a rough figure will do. I can also give Mr. Yang some appropriate advice. Otherwise, if his offer exceeds your bottom line, then this transaction will be worthless."

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll decide based on my own situation." Bobby wasn't stupid, of course.

Zheng Zhijie laughed and said, "Alright, since you don't believe me, then forget it. But you can bear the risk yourself."

This was to be expected; those who can make it in Hong Kong's top business districts are no fools.
The people at Jardine Matheson are smart too; they just believe the Hong Kong property market will continue to strengthen, which is the opposite of what their own group would do.

After thinking for a moment, Bo Fuda finally nodded and said, "Alright, let's settle on this. Once it's done, we will definitely give Zheng Sheng even greater benefits."

“Okay.” Zheng Zhijie didn’t refuse. Whatever they gave him, he would just hand it over to the Changxing Charity Foundation.

He didn't really care about the millions that Landsea gave him;
Over the years, following Yang Wendong, his normal income was already quite high. In addition, with several high-stakes gambles in the real estate industry, buying low and selling high with the company, and the convenience of internal financing, his funds have increased dozens of times. His net worth has long been over 100 million.

The reason they continued to work for him was because their boss, Yang Wendong, delegated enough authority to them. They had experienced the benefits of power. With their status, they were received by ministerial-level officials when they visited some Asian countries. If they were to become bosses themselves, even officials from a small town in Hong Kong would probably dare to ride roughshod over them.
Time quickly came to August 8th, the day the Hong Kong government held its largest auction of the year; the choice of this day was probably due to the fact that the number "8" is quite popular among Hong Kong Chinese.

Numerous media reporters have arrived early because this auction will be the largest land auction in Hong Kong's history, and it will also determine the future direction of Hong Kong's real estate market, making it a focus of attention for countless people throughout Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Yang Wendong, who has not participated in property auctions for many years, will also participate, which gives the Hong Kong government and many property speculators some hope.

It should be noted that Changxing Real Estate Company began a strategic contraction last year. Considering Yang Wendong's past performance, their actions have dealt a significant blow to market confidence.
However, if Yang Wendong successfully acquires this new prime land at a high price, it will be enough to invigorate the entire Hong Kong real estate market.

A little after 9 a.m., Yang Wendong appeared at the auction. A group of reporters rushed over, but were immediately stopped by dozens of bodyguards. The reporters wanted to ask questions, but were helpless. There were not only security guards, but also a team of police officers.

Unlike in the past, Yang Wendong did not give an interview this time either, but he politely waved to the reporters, which immediately drew the focus of countless cameras to him.

This photo alone is enough to be the cover of the first page of a news article.

After a while, Yang Wendong entered the auction venue;
"Mr. Yang, it's been a long time." A familiar face wearing black-rimmed glasses appeared before Yang Wendong; it was Li Jiacheng.
Yang Wendong shook hands and smiled, "Mr. Li, it's been a long time. I heard that Cheung Kong Holdings has been doing very well lately. Are you also planning to compete for the land king?"

Although Li Ka-shing was unable to acquire Hutchison Whampoa due to Yang Wendong's presence, he still maintained a very close relationship with HSBC. With HSBC's help, Cheung Kong Holdings has developed rapidly in the real estate sector and has become a rising star in Hong Kong's real estate industry.
Yang Wendong's approach to the Hong Kong real estate industry is primarily investment-oriented, and he himself mainly focuses on property ownership. Therefore, the better the companies he invests in, such as Cheung Kong Holdings, develop, the more benefits he will receive.

"Haha, compared to Yang Sheng, I'm far inferior." Li Jiacheng said with a smile, "I'm just here to watch the show. I don't even dare to dream of the land king, but there are other plots of land besides the land king, and I'd like to give it a try."

"Haha, okay." Yang Wendong nodded;
The Hong Kong government's auctions naturally don't just auction off one plot of land; land is also auctioned off in other towns and cities as well.
The value of this land parcel is estimated to be as high as six or seven billion. Although it is possible to leverage the real estate industry through bank loans, Cheung Kong Holdings currently does not have the capacity to absorb such a large amount of capital.

Other promising Chinese companies are also not an option. In Hong Kong, only companies like Cheung Hing Properties, Hongkong Land, and Swire have a chance. For Chinese companies, it's only possible if several conglomerates join forces.
Of course, this auction was not only attended by Hong Kong local capital; some overseas conglomerates also participated, such as Japan's Seibu Real Estate Group, and conglomerates from Southeast Asia also joined in.

With the opening up of the mainland, Hong Kong has become a bridge between the East and the West, and its real estate market has therefore received a large amount of foreign investment, which foreign hot money is still very interested in.
After a while, Yang Wendong had a brief chat with Li Zhaoji, Hu Yingxiang and others; he also met with the heads of several British-owned trading companies.
Among them, the group that was particularly enthusiastic about Yang Wendong was Swire Group, because the fact that Swire had become a major shareholder of Coca-Cola had been announced by the United States, and Swire was a long-term partner of Coca-Cola in Hong Kong and a competitor of Watsons.

Of course, my relationship with Pepsi has also become somewhat abnormal recently.
These matters will soon require a systematic approach.
The time quickly reached 10:08, and the auction officially began;
PS: Please give me a monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)