Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

After all, this is still the British colonial era in Hong Kong. For someone like Wang Yaotang, who has a bad relationship with the government, it is almost impossible to get commercial land, let alone good plots.

What's the point of being in real estate if you don't have a good relationship with the government?

Before the negotiation results were announced, Li Xiangjiao had no intention of getting involved with the North. He wanted to wait for the outcome of the negotiations before making any decisions. In his view, it didn't matter whether it was sooner or later. As long as Li Xiangjiao had enough influence in Hong Kong and was a super-rich man, he would have enough value and the North would definitely try to win him over, regardless of which side he had previously aligned himself with.

If you have no value, even if you give your life, no one will give you a second glance, and you won't even leave a name behind.

The internal meeting reached a consensus on the subsequent action strategy: abandoning any illusions of making peace with Wang Yaotang, they contacted Taiwanese quarry merchants and offered to sign a three-year long-term supply agreement as an incentive to keep supply costs as low as possible.

Li Xiangjiao believed that the negotiations would not continue indefinitely and would yield results within two years. At that time, he would be able to purchase large quantities of low-priced stone materials in the north without having to worry about the blockade set up by Wang Yaotang.

The Jia Hua loan leverage I hold in my hands is something I absolutely cannot touch.

Trying to force yourself to comply with such a little trick? Ha, how naive!

……

Hong Kong has only so many sources of stone; you either have to look to the north or to Taiwan. Wang Yaotang made that judgment long ago.

Taiwanese businessmen won't let money slip by, so Wang Yaotang never thought of trying to persuade them now. People don't grow without experiencing some setbacks.

A few days ago, someone was sent to Kaohsiung to keep an eye on things. It's public knowledge which ports the stone industry uses, so it's easy to keep an eye on them.

There are no stone mines on the market, let's see if you, Li Xiangjiao, can conjure them out of thin air!
While his subordinates were busy, Wang Yaotang was not idle either. The supply disruption was indeed a serious matter. If he could cut off Li Xiangjiao's supply today, he might be able to cut off other people's supply tomorrow. Although he could find new sources of supply, the time wasted in the process was all cost.

This behavior is hard not to alarm real estate developers.

Li Zhaoji's residence.

At the last auction, Li Zhaoji personally asked Wang Yaotang to come to his home when he had time. Wang Yaotang is now a well-known tycoon in Hong Kong, and he definitely needs to expand his network of contacts. It's impossible for him to still be associating with gangsters.

In Hong Kong, the largest network of connections is in real estate...

Counting from top to bottom, the wealthy are all in the real estate business.

Li Zhaoji's residence is located at 36 MacDonnell Road, Mid-Levels. It was developed by Henderson Land Development and was completed in 79. It was named "Huiyuan".

As for the famous No. 35 Barker Road, Victoria Peak, which is known as the most expensive detached house in Hong Kong, there is still no sign of it.

"Huiyuan" is not a detached villa, but a 24-story building completed in November 1979. It consists entirely of detached large apartments, with a usable area of ​​about 400 square meters per floor. Each floor has one unit, ensuring excellent privacy, and is divided into servants' area and owners' area.

Wang Yaotang paid a visit to the Li family, and the entire family was present. He presented a gift and introduced himself to the three daughters and two sons of the Li family.

The Li family lives in a large duplex on the top three floors, with a usable area of ​​over 1000 square meters. Li Zhaoji personally led them on a tour, and they found it quite novel, especially the rooftop terrace, which offers a panoramic view of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour, and Kowloon.

The only thing that Wang Yaotang found somewhat regrettable was that he didn't get that emperor-like feeling of looking down on everyone. He just felt... pretty normal, high up, with a great view, and that was it.

I don't know if it's because I'm not destined to be an emperor.

A servant brought up tea and snacks, and the two began chatting in the glass room on the rooftop. The conversation quickly turned to Li Xiangjiao.

Although Li Zhaoji and Li Xiangjiao share the same surname, their relationship is anything but good. After all, even if they were close, they wouldn't name their sons the same as brothers. Li Jiacheng has to call Li Zhaoji "Dad" every day...

“When you bought Shek O and Lamma Island at high prices, I thought you were a bit impulsive. How could two mines be worth so much? Although Hong Kong Electric has plans to build a power plant on Lamma Island, the transportation on Lamma Island makes the land near the mines not very valuable. But I never expected that you had been plotting against that bastard Li Xiangjiao all along,” Li Zhaoji said with a smile.

what?
Wang Yaotang was a little stunned. What do you mean, "planned long ago"?
He had planned to buy Shek O and Lamma Island long ago.

As for its value, Shek O still has some development potential. In 2009, Penguin Ma purchased the mansion at 13 Big Wave Bay Road, Shek O from the late shipping magnate Zhao Shiguang for RMB 4.8 million. He later applied for redevelopment, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a villa in Asia at that time.

Next door at number 12 is Hong Kong's number one hostage, Brother Kai. His mansion took eight years and cost 200 million to build, covering an area of ​​20,000 square feet. Because the decoration materials are mainly American mahogany, it is known as the "super wooden house".

Next to him, number 10, is one of the four major families, Hui Chun-heng and former Miss Hong Kong Lee Ka-yan. Next to him is Peter Woo, the son-in-law of Wharf Holdings and chairman of Kowloon Wharf Holdings.

Shek O Big Wave Bay is relatively secluded and offers good privacy. It's nestled against the mountains and faces the water, making it a great place for a vacation. You can get in and out by speedboat, and it's no less desirable than Repulse Bay or Deep Water Bay. Of course, if you don't even own a yacht, don't even think about it; it's not suitable for people on a tight budget.

Not understanding what Old Li was talking about, Wang Yaotang tactfully sipped his tea, then revealed a confident smile.

"You little rascal, you really are a little money god, so shrewd, planning so far ahead." Li Zhaoji said with a smile, "This chokehold must have scared Li Xiangjiao freak out. If he doesn't want to fall into this situation again, he'll have no choice but to buy Jia Hua's mine at a high price as you wish. Hehe, I'll definitely have to see his expression then."

what?
Is that what I think?
Like a hidden thread, am I really going to consider such a long-term, localized area?
Wang Yaotang grinned, "Old Li is indeed a senior figure in the business world; he saw through my little trick at a glance."

Yes, that's exactly what I think!
Giving up one or two mines wouldn't be a big problem. The Hong Kong market is only so big; it's impossible to truly monopolize it.

The value of K. Wah Mining actually lies in its employees. With Lam Tei Stone and Anderson Mining located in the New Territories, it is easier for the local giant to acquire Ding Quan from the New Territories people.

“However, you should also be careful,” Li Zhaoji advised. “Li Xiangjiao has definitely seen through your plans. He will definitely try to order goods from Taiwan. It’s impossible to cut off the supply in the long term, but if you can cut off his supply for two months, you can force him to bow down to you.”

"As for us, you don't need to worry. Everyone knows the reason and won't get involved. Of course, you also need to reassure everyone."

“What Mr. Li said is true. That’s why I’m visiting you today. The suspension of the supply was due to personal grudges and was just a means to an end. It will definitely not happen again,” Wang Yaotang assured him, patting his chest.

Leaving aside Li Xiangjiao's matter, they discussed their views on the current real estate industry in Hong Kong Island. Li Zhaoji asked Wang Yaotang about the cooperation with the North. The small businessmen were not of much reference value, and the Huo family's relationship, which had been established for more than 30 years, was also not of much reference value. Everyone was more concerned about the cooperation between Wang Yaotang, this newly emerging 'unclean' tycoon, and the North.

This is incredibly valuable for reference!

To be honest, these wealthy people are really not at ease. They remember how things turned out before, not just once, not twice, not three times... It's all too clear in their minds. They're betting their entire fortune on the other party's leniency, which is indeed quite difficult.

During this period, everyone has been transferring assets overseas, it's just a matter of how much. Hong Kong itself has a relaxed financial policy, so this is not difficult.

Of course, there was some interaction with the north. In 78, Li Zhaoji donated 180 million yuan to expand Shunde Overseas Chinese Middle School. In 80, he joined the Huo family in investing in and building the China Hotel in Guangzhou, which was the first five-star hotel in mainland China to introduce foreign investment.

We've had some contact.

"The entire East Asian region is a product of Chinese culture. Throughout 4000 years of history, China has always stood at the top of the world. History does not deceive anyone. We have fallen behind in the last hundred years, but this is not the first time this has happened. The earliest example can be traced back to the Five Barbarian Invasions 2000 years ago. The situation during the Yuan and Qing dynasties cannot be denied, but in the end, we still stood up. It is impossible for us to stand at the top of the world for thousands of years. If it is going to be like this, we might as well be dead."

Wang Yaotang didn't boast about how great the North was, nor did he mention any investment opportunities. After all, there wasn't much real estate to invest in in the North right now. As for the China Hotel, it wasn't profitable at all; it was used for receiving foreign guests. Besides, what's the use of making RMB now?

Once you leave the north, it's just worthless paper. China's foreign exchange reserves don't support large-scale exchanges of Hong Kong dollars and US dollars, so it's pointless. Right now, the only option is to open factories, but the top ten richest Chinese don't do that.

“Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. Moreover, some people are considered lowly when they leave their hometown. Our roots are here. If we lose our roots, we will become easy prey when we go out.”

Li Zhaoji slapped his thigh hard. "That's well said. People are cheap when they leave their hometown. Apart from Southeast Asia, there isn't a single wealthy Chinese person in Europe and America. Doesn't that prove the point?"

He'd heard countless analyses from his highly educated subordinates from economic, technological, and political perspectives, but Wang Yaotang was the first to speak from a racial standpoint. His subordinates were all staunch believers in equality and human rights…

A bunch of people who grew up in colonies, talking about human rights and equality, what lunatics!
"My only concern right now is the very low status of businessmen..."

Wang Yaotang could only smile at these words. "The livelihoods of millions of workers depend on this. It's precisely because we realized the problem that we started reform and opening up. If we remain cautious, there shouldn't be any major issues."

“That’s true.” Li Zhaoji nodded with a smile. Real estate is linked to dozens or even hundreds of industries. If there are problems in the real estate sector, it means that an economic crisis is about to occur. Who would dare to touch them easily?

After chatting for more than an hour, Wang Yaotang finally got up to say goodbye. Li Zhaoji personally escorted him downstairs. When he returned, he praised Wang Yaotang to his wife and children, saying that his speech, knowledge, and temperament showed no signs of being a gangster who was always ready to fight. He seemed more like a top student from a prestigious university.

At the previous auction, he was just arguing with Lao Xu and Lao Guo about marrying off his daughter, but now he's really serious about it.

In the following days, Wang Yaotang visited each of them in turn, which completely opened up the social circles of the upper class in Hong Kong Island. The matter of cutting off Li Xiangjiao's supply was completely controlled between the two of them, dispelling the concerns of other families.

On the other hand, the handover process in Shek O and Lamma Island went relatively smoothly, and the funds in K Wah's account evaporated rapidly, bringing it closer and closer to complete bankruptcy. Everything was developing in a positive direction.

……

At the same time, the Xingye quietly anchored near Dongsha. The radar, which Director Zhao had helped set up, was turned on several hours in advance, and three patrol boats were also dispatched, ensuring that the target would not be lost.

"Another one is coming. Let's go closer and take a look."

The patrol boat sped after them at full speed. In broad daylight, there was no need for close-quarters combat; the name and number of the ship could be determined through binoculars from more than 500 meters away.

"Wait a minute... it looks like the target!"

"Get closer."

"I bet it's these Taiwanese guys! Quick, call the platform, let them..."

"Call the platform and tell Ah Jing and Ah Yang to come over and get ready to work!" Hai Dabo's voice was filled with excitement.

Ordinary bulk carriers are not equipped with radar, and of course, even if they were, it wouldn't be very useful. The sea surface is turbulent and cluttered, making it difficult for current radar technology to detect small things like patrol boats. They usually have to rely on the naked eye to detect them.

It's no longer the era of large sails, and there aren't any dedicated lookouts anymore, so when the other two patrol boats caught up more than half an hour later, the bulk carrier was still completely unaware.

This wasn't the first time they'd done this. In 15 minutes, they smoothly maneuvered the speedboat, approaching from the blind spot behind them. After using a grappling hook to secure themselves, they quickly climbed up, gun on their backs. Years of training had allowed them to scale the 12-meter height in just 15 seconds. Six of them made it up in a row before splitting into two groups to launch the attack.

First, they threw a grenade near the entrance as a greeting. With a loud "boom," most of the ship could hear the sound.

"Hit! Hit! Let's rob them!"

"My brothers come out here to do this for money, so come out on your own, or you'll be spared!"

The accent was a bit strange, but they all spoke Cantonese, so communication between the two parties was not a problem.

After all, they were all Chinese; it wouldn't be right to kill someone without saying a word.

If they were all killed, it would be difficult to negotiate with Wang Yaotang afterward.

"Captain, something's wrong! It's a Big Circle Boy!"

"How is this possible? When did pirates appear around here again?!" The captain looked incredulous. The north is heavily guarded; how could there be pirates here?

"Don't fucking say it's impossible, what do we do now?" the first mate rushed in and asked anxiously.

"How would I know? It really is a mainland Chinese guy... I'm afraid they'll kill me to cover it up." The captain was thinking a lot.

"Then fight them?"

What weapons did they use?

"do not know."

"Let's go take a look!"

"Why don't you go!"

"Don't fucking shoot, you're all crazy!"

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their hands moving constantly as they pulled out guns from their hiding places.

“Friends, I am the captain.” In the control room, the captain had no choice but to step forward and shout, “Our ship is full of stones, which are worthless. I don’t want my friends to come for nothing. I’ll give you 20 for tea, okay?”

The claim that the ship was entirely made of rocks is a lie. The ship carried a lot of electronic products that were lightweight, took up little space, and were of high value. If it were really all rocks, the shipping costs would be too high.

"Is it possible that we came here specifically for the stones?" Hai Dabao shouted. "Let me tell you straight, we've been watching you ever since you started carrying the stones. Nobody cares about your lives. Come out and surrender, or we'll end up making things difficult for everyone!"

As he spoke, Da Bo waved his hand, flipped up his gas mask and put it on his face, while Da Cang behind him pulled the pin on a gas grenade and threw it into the cabin.

"Damn it, no sportsmanship, they're using tear gas! Cough cough cough, surrender, don't shoot!"

They weren't exactly determined soldiers; in fact, they were ready to surrender as soon as they heard the target was stones.

The rest was simple: first, they disarmed the crew, then removed the ship's communication equipment, and finally, Hua Yu and Hua Ke were left to escort the cargo ship while the others disembarked to wait for the next cargo ship to arrive.

When the pirates told them to head straight for Hong Kong Island, the captain and his crew looked very strange, but they also completely let down their guard. What legitimate pirates would act so blatantly?

The next two days passed without any major incidents. We ate and slept together, and with the captain and others deliberately trying to please us, it actually felt like we were becoming friends. It was only after chatting that I learned that the crew members were all from Hong Kong Island, and the ship owner was Mr. Bao…

Interestingly, most of the bulk carriers that Wang Yaotang partners with are from the Bao family, and a small portion are from the Xu family, so neither of them is really worried about the supply of ore.

In addition, their cargo ships are not all with one shipping company, but with each ship belonging to a different company... The reason for this is hard to say.

After arriving in the waters off Hong Kong Island, instead of contacting the cargo owner as planned, they went straight to the Tuen Mun temporary pier. The department manager in charge of unloading and his assistant Shi Guofei were completely bewildered. Did they even have this cargo ship among their partners?
Never seen it.

But in any case, the goods have arrived at the port, so let's unload them first.

After unloading the cargo, Hua Yu and Hua Ke released the people immediately. They still needed to go to other ports to unload the electronic products through customs. In addition, they needed to contact the company manager as soon as possible. They had encountered 'pirates' at sea and almost died at sea, so the company had to make a statement.

As for the cargo owners, that's beyond their control.

……

"What? Encountered pirates? Are you kidding me? There are pirates around here?" Che Yushan, a Taiwanese stone quarry merchant, listened to the phone with a very interesting expression on his face, especially when he heard that the pirates were after the stone quarry and that it was his cargo ship that had been implicated. He was so angry that he laughed. "Do you even know what you're saying? What kind of pirates would go out of their way to rob a ship full of broken stones? What, do they know the Five Ghosts Moving Technique?"

However, upon hearing that the pirates had taken control of the captain and sailed to Tuen Mun, leaving all the stones there, Che Yushan's expression froze. "Tuen Mun? A temporary dock? Isn't that occupied by Wang Yaotang now?"

"This……"

As an insider, he was certainly aware of the struggle between Wang Yaotang and Lü Zhihe, and also knew that Wang Yaotang subsequently cut off the supply of bananas to Li Xiangjiao, which is why Huang and Changshi ordered goods from these Taiwanese businessmen. They even indicated that if everything went smoothly, they could sign a three-year long-term supply agreement.

But who would have thought that Wang Yaotang would actually commit such a heist?

This is bad!
In response to Li Xiangjiao's sudden order, the group shipped 20 boats, totaling 150,000 tons of stone. If everything had gone according to plan, they would have already shipped four boats, but the boats have basically lost contact at sea, leaving them with no choice but to watch helplessly.

He rushed to the Tuen Mun warehouse with his men, but he couldn't even see General Manager He Zecheng, let alone Wang Yaotang. He was so anxious that he didn't dare to get angry. If this were Taiwan, he would have sent someone with guns to his door long ago. But this is Hong Kong. Wang Yaotang is even willing to use an RPG!

Contact Taiwan to explain the situation and immediately stop shipping, but the ship has already been booked, and the shipping cost cannot be reduced by a single penny. As for Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings... screw them, I was implicated by that bastard Li Xiangjiao, so I'll keep it from them for now!

However, having just suffered a loss with Wong and Cheung-sik, they are now keeping a close eye on things. If the quarry doesn't arrive at the dock within the scheduled time, they immediately go to question them, and then chase them all the way to Tuen Mun.

Che Yushan: "Good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?"

Ma Shimin's expression was subtle. This was Wang Yaotang's territory; there was no way there could be any good news here. "Good news."

"The stone has indeed arrived."

"What about the bad news?"

"At the Tuen Mun warehouse."

"How did we end up here? Wasn't the designated unloading point at Wharf?"

"The ship encountered pirates at sea and was hijacked here, where it was forced to unload its cargo. Just so you know, the stone quarry is tax-free, so it doesn't need to go through customs. Right now, we can't even accuse them of smuggling," Che Yushan said coldly.

“He, he, he…” Ma Shimin’s lips twitched. What pirate? It was clearly Wang Yaotang who sent people to do it. This guy dared to throw a corpse into Li Sheng’s house. What else wouldn’t he dare to do?

Once the goods are in his hands, it will be difficult to get them back.

"Those are your goods, are you just going to put up with this?"

"Otherwise, here's a gun, go and snatch it back!" Che Yushan sneered.

Ma Shimin shut his mouth.

Don't mention any contracts. Those are tens of thousands of tons of stones. If they don't let you bring your trucks and ships into the port, you can only watch helplessly.

Ma Shimin shook his head and turned to leave. Business problems could be addressed by these professional managers, but physical problems were something for Boss Li to figure out himself. He couldn't possibly expect them to charge at Wang Yaotang with guns.

Upon hearing Ma Shimin's report, Li Xiangjiao was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder!
He paced back and forth in the office with his hands on his hips, but couldn't think of any solutions. Calling the police was out of the question, since that wasn't Hong Kong Island waters!

There's no way he'd ask the British to escort him!

He has no shame!
But if they don't send any escort personnel, this stuff will just end up in Wang Yaotang's pocket. What's the difference between that and throwing a meat bun to a dog?

As for letting customs investigate, or suing Wang Yaotang for seizing his goods...

Leaving aside how long the lawsuit will take, and whether the construction site can wait, the goods belonged to Che Yushan before they were handed over. That's how the contract was signed, and it was normal risk management. Now, the risk management has fallen on our own shoulders.

Physics and force—who would have thought that in this peaceful era, we would be outmaneuvered by this crude thug, Wang Yaotang?

But he lacks military force!

When I called the Bao family, Old Master Bao clearly refused to continue transporting the goods. "This time, Xiao Wang didn't fire because they were all from Hong Kong Island. What about next time? How am I supposed to explain to the crew if someone dies? Don't even mention arranging for someone to escort the ship. They have RPGs. If they're really determined not to let you leave, what are you going to use to escort them?"

"Take my advice: it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Think about it yourself."

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangjiao grabbed the phone and slammed it to the ground, telling him not to even think about bowing down to a mere brat!

I'd rather die, I'd rather jump off from here!
"call!"

"Help me arrange to have tea with that little bastard..." Li Xiangjiao said, turning and walking out. (End of Chapter)