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

The process of meeting the king was quite complicated. First, a palace attendant would go to the hotel to find Wang Yaotang and his two companions and instruct them on the necessary etiquette for the audience.

Therefore, Wang Yaotang even called Chen Bichen to inquire. After hearing that the King received all foreign guests with this set of etiquette, he was relieved. It wasn't that he was making a fuss over nothing; he was no longer an ordinary person and represented the face of the Chinese people.

The royal attendants arrived right after breakfast. The clothing was prepared by the royal family according to the three people's sizes. According to etiquette, foreign guests should wear dark formal attire, with men wearing sarongs and women wearing ankle-length skirts. Therefore, the attendants brought three sets of black long-sleeved shirts and three long pieces of cloth, each more than two meters long and one meter wide...

"What is this thing?" Wang Yaotang asked, completely bewildered.

After the eunuch explained, I learned that this is called a men's sarong, and a maid helps to wrap it. It took half an hour of struggling to put on the clothes. Looking in the mirror, I realized that it did indeed have a Thai feel to it...

The three of them looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It's definitely not ugly; it's a very novel experience.

The royal motorcade waited downstairs, and after the group got into the cars, they headed straight for the Grand Palace next to the Chao Phraya River.

The Grand Palace is a Siamese architectural complex built by King Rama I starting in 1782. Within the palace walls, which cover a total area of ​​21.84 square meters, there are more than 100 buildings with white as the main color. Even from a distance, you can see the tall Thai-style golden spires, and the glazed tiles and colored glass reflect a dreamlike halo under the sunlight.

The palace is indeed luxurious.

A golden guard of honor, carrying halberds, stood beneath the vermilion palace walls, while a nine-tiered white umbrella swayed gently in the wind atop the Chakri Palace. A royal attendant whispered, "This is the highest level of reception ceremony the royal family can offer."

Wang Yaotang nodded with a reserved expression, and then a waiter came forward to open the car door. He then stepped out of the car with a smile.

Guided by the eunuchs, we walked past the ceremonial guard and entered the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The entire exterior of the temple was covered with gold leaf, and the wind chimes hanging from the eaves tinkled softly in the wind. The whole place had a solemn Buddhist atmosphere. The Emerald Buddha inside was carved from a single piece of jade and was 66 centimeters tall. It was placed on a seven-tiered golden pedestal inlaid with gemstones. The king personally changed the magnificent robes on the Buddha's body according to the season.

Along the way, the eunuch loudly introduced the various furnishings and murals of the palace. The long corridor surrounding the Buddhist temple was covered with murals that stretched for two kilometers. The 178 murals depicting stories from the Ramayana were painted with mineral pigments, and the figures' clothing was inlaid with seashells and pearl powder. Even after more than two hundred years, they remained as vibrant as ever. The murals depicted the monkey god Hanuman riding on clouds and the ten-headed demon king Ravana.

After passing Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), you will reach Chakri Palace, where the king received foreign guests.

Wang Yaotang had heard of the "Three Kingdoms style" of Jieji Temple in his previous life, and now that he saw it, it was indeed so. The bottom layer was "Gothic columns", the middle layer was "Chinese glazed tiles" and the top layer was "Thai golden roof" which matched well. But to be honest, the overall look was not jarring at all, just... quite interesting.

Upon entering the main hall, one finds the reception hall's dome adorned with star patterns. King Rama IX sits on a throne made of pure gold, inlaid with rubies and sapphires. Sunlight streams through stained-glass windows at a specially designed angle, weaving a flowing rainbow on the floor. The carpet, woven by a hundred artisans over three years in a peacock pattern, is both luxurious and mysterious, with each thread soaked in gold leaf.

Led by the eunuch, they paid homage to the king. Wang Yaotang and his two companions put their hands together and touched their foreheads, then leaned forward thirty degrees to perform the 'Sawadee' greeting. This was followed by the presentation of gifts, after which the royal family presented a return gift: a silver plate inlaid with a ruby ​​royal emblem, with a cloth embroidered with the Naga serpent pattern on the lining.

When the king responds, his tone must conform to ancient rules. The eunuchs record the conversation on palm leaves. When the ceremony is complete, the chime bells play the "Hymn of the Holy Ones," and the fountain next to the white elephant sculpture suddenly gushes forth, symbolizing "blessings to all directions."

When seeing off the guests, they must back away to the palace gate, always facing the king. Outside the palace walls, the monks, having finished chanting prayers, hand out jasmine garlands sprinkled with holy water to the guests.

After completing a series of elaborate rituals, Wang Yaotang and his two companions, led by eunuchs, visited the 'Amalien Palace,' the place where the king held his coronation ceremony.

Next was Dusit Palace, with its long walls, corridors, and handwashing pavilions. The entire tour took more than an hour, and the final event was the royal luncheon.

Wang Yaotang was greatly disappointed by the meal. The food was alright, but the atmosphere was too serious. Everyone was taking notes, so no serious business could be discussed. They could only talk about the past friendship between the two countries.

It wasn't until he left the palace and got into the car that Wang Yaotang stretched his limbs. "I was picky. The place to stay was luxurious enough, with hundreds of people serving me every day, but damn, life was so boring."

"My god, my face is stiff." A-Jie rubbed his chin. "I didn't eat anything at all, okay? I thought we could talk about investments, but damn it, nothing came of it. This was a complete waste of time!"

“If you don’t tell, who will know? You can go back and brag to Chen Huimin, Prince Rong, and Xiang Laosan.” Wang Yaotang said with a smile, “You are a foreign guest who has been received with the highest honors by the King. They will never have the chance in their lives.”

Mentioning this, A-Jie immediately chuckled, "Not only that, it's also useful when you're bragging to beautiful women."

Wang Yaotang burst out laughing, "Then you really are just bragging."

After saying that, he and Aji burst into laughter. Ajie stared wide-eyed and waved his arms dramatically, "How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!"

Then came words like 'fun' and 'creative' that were hard to understand, and the car was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

……

The audience with the King wasn't without its benefits; the very next day, he appeared on several of Thailand's largest television stations. While Wang Yaotang's name didn't become known throughout Thailand overnight, anyone who followed current affairs knew about this super-rich man from Hong Kong.

Even Hong Kong's TVB and newspapers reported on the matter the following day, and Wang Yaotang received many calls from them.

With the endorsement of the Thai royal family, their reputation has been thoroughly established, at least throughout Southeast Asia, and they will receive similar treatment when they travel to other countries in the future.

The effect was first demonstrated in Thailand, followed by a flood of invitations from various cities, including Bangkok, Chonburi, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, all inviting Wang Yaotang to visit and invest. Then came dinner invitations from prominent Thai figures, as well as interview requests from television stations and newspapers…

My schedule is packed for the next month!
Wang Yaotang was certain to attend the invitation from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. This time, the discussion went into more depth. Mayor Kanchanaburi briefly outlined Bangkok's development plans for the next few years, including railway and highway construction, urban development direction, which industries would receive strong support and investment, and the preferential conditions the government could offer for investment in different sectors.

Anyone who knows this, even if it's just acquiring some land and houses, can double their investment in the next few years. That's... cough cough.

Of course, Wang Yaotang doesn't need to do that; he's the one who chooses the investment direction, while the others just follow along and get the benefits.

This development plan and investment proposal is indeed very attractive in many ways, such as in the electronics industry, and Gan Zha Na hopes that Wang Yaotang will invest.

Hong Kong's electronics industry is still very competitive!

After Intel launched its high-priced electronic watch in 72, Hong Kong manufacturers quickly reduced costs by imitating the technology. By 80, the number of electronics factories in Hong Kong had increased to 1316, employing 9.3 people, with an export value of HK$134.17 billion, accounting for 12.2% of Hong Kong's total exports, making it the second largest industry. By 89, the number of electronics factories had reached 2009, and the export value had soared to HK$558.18 billion.

At that time, many international giants set up R&D centers in Hong Kong. Of course, later, due to the increase in labor and other costs, they began to move outwards in large numbers. Nearly half of them moved to the Pearl River Delta, and the rest moved to several cities such as Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.

Bangkok has recently been trying to attract Hong Kong's electronics industry to relocate its production capacity.

However, compared to the electronics industry, which he had never been involved in, Wang Yaotang valued more the 'Khlong Tit area', which the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had intentionally or unintentionally abandoned.

Khlong Tong: Located in the southern part of downtown Bangkok, the heart of Bangkok's bustling urban area, and also the largest slum community. Due to its proximity to the Chao Phraya River, Khlong Tong still plays an irreplaceable role in cargo distribution, fresh agricultural products, and building materials transportation, thanks to its location advantage in the city center. It is Bangkok's most important inland river port.

Due to the port's loading and unloading, warehousing, and Bangkok's largest fresh food market, this area provides a large number of low-skilled jobs. A large number of impoverished migrants live here, with more than 10 people residing in an area of ​​less than 1.5 square kilometers. Due to complex land ownership (most of the land belongs to the Port Authority of Thailand) and lagging infrastructure, the residents have long been in poverty, making it the most dangerous area, rife with criminals involved in drug trafficking, pornography, human trafficking, illegal organ trade, smuggling, and other crimes.

Saying that there are no good people in Kongti area might be an exaggeration, but 90% of them have a criminal history!

The slum buildings and port facilities are intertwined, with some residents' houses directly adjacent to the docks and railways. Living spaces and logistics channels are highly mixed, making it Bangkok's version of Kowloon Walled City.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration attempted to redevelop this "cancer" in the city center, but developers failed for various reasons, and the project was eventually shelved, with little change even 40 years later.

Other real estate developers and builders are unwilling to provoke the 'criminals' here, but Wang Yaotang isn't afraid! Nobody understands criminals better than me!
Is it in the heart of Bangkok or the most important inland river port? The waterway is 7.1-9.1 meters deep, allowing cargo ships over 150 meters long to navigate. 1.5 square kilometers is 150 million square meters. Add the docks, and if this is developed as a whole... the total value will be calculated in the tens of billions!

Having read the information about the airlift zone, Wang Yaotang asked the question directly.

Gan Zha froze on the spot, clearly not expecting such a question. He racked his brains trying to recall information about the Kongti District, while simultaneously wondering why Wang Yaotang would be interested in it. "You… Mr. Wang, although the Kongti District… uh… you… this…"

Ganzana's eyes widened, his expression shifting from astonishment to realization, then from regret to jealousy, which looked quite amusing.

"What do you think, Mayor?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

There's no need to hide this development direction; no one in Southeast Asia but him can handle the air traffic control area!

Otherwise, it wouldn't still be in this terrible state 40 years later.

It's not enough to simply have a prestigious reputation in the underworld and be able to intimidate others. 'Yi An', 'Tiao Lin', and 'Sheng He' meet the requirements, but while they are dealing with the underworld forces, local powerful figures will jump out to reap the benefits, and the benefits they ultimately gain will be greatly reduced.

To develop an air platform and reap the lion's share of the profits, too many conditions are required, but Wang Yaotang can meet them all. Even if he can't do them, he can still bring in enough allies.

For example, the design and construction of ports are entirely controlled by the Fourth Harbor Engineering Bureau!

For example, Wenchong Shipyard has been deeply involved in river dredging for 60 years!
Hong Kong property developers have complete solutions for public housing demolition, construction, compensation, sales, and financing!

As for the development of other commercial office buildings, hotels, luxury apartments, and residential communities, all of Hong Kong's top ten richest men are experienced!
The current situation in Keng Ti is exactly the same as that in Yau Tsim Mong in the 50s and 60s.

“Of course, very good. Mr. Wang’s dedication to solving real problems for the people is something everyone should learn from. On behalf of the people of Bangkok, I thank Mr. Wang for his generosity.” Ganchana quickly composed himself and praised him with a smile.

Ganzha never even considered asking for an exorbitant price for this unique business. It was so rare for someone to come up with a business that everyone could share in, but this was ruined by his greed. If these people couldn't get any meat, they would definitely eat him instead.

Besides, the money from the land sale belongs to the municipal government; whether it's more or less is none of my business!
What they want is political achievements, and even better, they want to make a quick buck while achieving those achievements.

The two discussed the issue of the Kongti area at length. Ganchana promised to help obtain the land from the Port Authority of Thailand, and Wang Yaotang also expressed his hope to cooperate with local companies on building materials.

Ganzana readily accepted.

For a while, there were wolves... for a while, officials and businessmen... uh, for a while, collusion...

Anyway, we had a very pleasant conversation!

Bangkok Mayor Kanjani has been committed to eliminating poverty in Bangkok and improving employment, housing, education, and other related social security. He proposed the demolition, development, and construction of the Khlong Thiet district. He has worked tirelessly, day and night, to achieve this goal. Finally, he reached an agreement with Mr. Wang Yaotang, in which the government proposed an "affordable housing" plan, exchanging land for funds, to jointly solve the practical difficulties of 10 people struggling on the poverty line in the Khlong Thiet district.

The general direction of the publicity campaign was agreed upon. Ganzha Na gained fame, while Wang Yaotang reaped tangible benefits.

In the afternoon, after leaving the municipal government, Wang Yaotang returned to his newly purchased luxury house and contacted Chen Bichen of Pangu Bank to arrange a visit.

Mr. Chen Bichen is getting old. Last time, he hosted the banquet for Wang Yaotang on behalf of the Thai Chinese community. He rarely gets involved in such matters anymore. He rarely goes to the company and usually stays at home to recuperate. Wang Yaotang can only visit him in person.

The core section of the Chao Phraya River was where Ah Jie and Ah Ji led a team to fire cannons in the middle of the night before. This was Wang Yaotang's first time here. It was very close to the Khun Tei area, and the entire Khun Tei area could be seen from the second or third floor of each manor.

On one side are the luxurious estates of Thai elites, and on the other is Thailand's largest slum—it's quite reminiscent of India...

Mr. Chen Bichen's eldest son, Chen Youqing, personally greeted Wang Yaotang at the door. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went to the reception room together. After drinking a cup of tea, the old gentleman walked over with the help of his servants.

"Ah Yao, you're here."

"Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to disturb your rest," Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

"Don't be so polite. It's great to interact with young people like you. It makes me feel like I'm not hopelessly old yet," Chen Bichen said with a smile.

After sitting down and chatting for a while, Wang Yaotang talked about some interesting things that had happened in Hong Kong recently, his views on Thailand, and so on. The topic was quickly steered to the "Kong Ti" area.

"You want to develop the airlift zone?" Chen Bichen frowned.

The three brothers, Chen Youqing, Chen Youhan, and Chen Yongde, also looked at Wang Yaotang with surprise, and suspected that this kid was greedy for money. Everyone knows that Kongti District is a piece of fat meat, but no one has been able to bite into it for many years. What makes you think you can?
They were born into Thai elites and were surrounded by high society people, so of course they didn't know anything about these things.

On the contrary, Chen Bichen, who was self-reliant, accepted the situation quickly. "Ah Yao, are you confident?"

"In Guangzhou in the 1920s and 30s, and in Yau Tsim Mong District of Hong Kong in the 1950s and 60s, once all the troublemakers were eliminated, the remaining problems would naturally be easier to solve." Wang Yaotang grinned, showing his bright white teeth, with a sunny and cheerful demeanor.

Chen brothers: How the hell can you say such cruel things with a smile?
“There are quite a few troublemakers, and behind them are many underworld forces, including people from the Red Wa State and Khun Sa.”

“How many divisions does Red Wa State and Khun Sa have? Can they be mobilized?” Wang Yaotang curled his lip. “As for the troublemakers, kill more the first time, and those fence-sitters will naturally be frightened. As for the poor who have been incited, if they could really succeed, Kongti wouldn’t be in its current state.”

"I don't mean to look down on Thai people, but the fact is that they are naturally inferior to Han Chinese in terms of race. With 5000 million people, occupying the best part of the Southeast Peninsula, if it were Han Chinese, they would have already conquered the surrounding areas and built a great empire. Now, they have suffered heavy losses at the hands of mere Vietnamese people, it's really..."

Chen Bichen laughed, but the three Chen brothers looked less than pleased; they were one-quarter Thai.

"It's good that you have confidence, but developing the airlift zone is a huge project. It would be a huge waste if it wasn't done perfectly. It requires a lot of people to work on it."

“I understand what Mr. Chen means.” Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice, “I’m here today to give Mr. Chen a heads-up. If you think there’s no problem, then I’ll invite all of us Chinese to get together and, by the way, demonstrate the operational capabilities of my ‘Protective Umbrella’ security company.”

"Oh, how do you want to present it?" Chen Bichen asked curiously.

"As the saying goes, empty words are no proof. Let's put them to the test. We won't hold any drills. Let our brothers show everyone what they're made of. Pattaya, for example. We'll wipe out all the gangs in Pattaya in one day!" Wang Yaotang said casually.

"what?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"The situation of gangs in Pattaya is complicated. This is not a small gang in Bangkok. There are all kinds of people there: Europeans, Americans, Chinese, drug traffickers, smugglers, and underground arms dealers."

The three Chen brothers spoke quickly, one after the other.

"So what? People die when they're killed!" (End of Chapter)