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

Wang Yaotang wanted to develop ports and fleets, and become the dominant figure in Southeast Asia's "resources." He could achieve this through business means alone; the Bao and Xu families had already set an example, as had Li Xiangjiao later. By gradually building connections, it was possible to accomplish this over a decade.

Wang Yaotang: I want to be the person in charge, but I don't want to spend the time on it.

What should I do?
Force!
There were indeed a lot of pirates in the 80s. In my hometown, the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong, the East China Sea, and the Yellow Sea, there were not many pirates because the navy patrolled frequently. However, in the area near Annam, from 75 to 90, their military and civilian fleets frequently came out to plunder.

In regions like the Philippines, it has been a long-standing tradition for people living by the sea to sometimes be civilians and sometimes thieves.

The Strait of Malacca is even more problematic, especially with a man surnamed Wang distributing numerous pirate instructional videotapes, which has led to an even greater number of pirates.

So, if you want to have a good word to say at sea for a short time, you need to disguise yourself at sea... and that means you need to fight pirates!

After a long silence in the meeting room, Chen Huiguo asked in a deep voice, "What warship?"

"Haha, maybe calling it a warship is a bit of an exaggeration. As you know, Somalia is an important waterway leading to the Red Sea. There are many pirates carrying out criminal activities here, and shipping is very risky. Our Umbrella Security Company is dedicated to helping shipping companies solve security problems, so we need gunboats that can operate in coastal waters and are specifically designed to deal with pirates."

Wang Yaotang chuckled and said, "I think the Type 037 boat that sank the South Vietnamese escort ship 'Nu Tao' in the 1974 Battle of the Paracel Islands was quite good, having been tested in actual combat."

Chen Huiguo glanced at his secretary, who immediately got up to go out and look up information.

"No need." Wang Yaotang said with a smile upon seeing this: "The Type 037 ship has a full-load displacement of 395 tons, a length of 58.8 meters, a beam of 7.2 meters, a draft of 2.2 meters, a maximum speed of 30.5 knots, a range of 1300 nautical miles at 15 knots, and a crew of 78."

"The armament includes two Type 66 twin 57mm naval guns with a rate of fire of 2×70 rounds/min and a range of 12 kilometers; two Type 61 twin 25mm naval guns with a rate of fire of 2×270 rounds/min and a range of 3 kilometers; four 5-tube anti-submarine rocket depth charge launchers with 80 rounds of ammunition; and can also carry 18 depth charges or 12 mines."

"It is equipped with four 40II diesel engines (total power of 10000 horsepower), and features the 'Tamir' sonar and maritime search radar, giving it strong anti-submarine and near-shore fire support capabilities."

Wang Yaotang readily provided the data: "This is a small, near-shore vessel. Don't worry, nothing serious will happen."

Upon hearing this series of data, Chen Huiguo looked at Wang Yaotang and Omar with some surprise and uncertainty. "No, you two are really planning to do business in Somalia?"
Wang Yaotang smiled and nodded, "Let's expand our business in the Middle East, I guarantee it."

It's just uncertain when that will happen.

If the navy weren't a high-tech branch of the armed forces, not a force that can be assembled at will, and if Wang Yaotang genuinely wanted to purchase a medium-sized warship with a displacement of around 3000 tons, would you buy insurance for sailing it out to other countries' seas?

These days, our hometown navy is indeed not good, but that depends on who we compare it to. If we can't fight a few of the major naval powers in Europe and America, can't we at least fight Southeast Asia?

"How many 037s do you want to buy?" Chen Huiguo asked after thinking for a moment.

"Two, please. Also, could you please ask Wen Chong to take care of this maintenance?"

"We need to consult with our superiors about this."

"Alright, I'll wait for news." Wang Yaotang nodded with a smile.

If there's no outright refusal, then it's basically a done deal.

No one should be poor, but a rabbit shouldn't be poor either; a rabbit will sell anything when cornered!
The only issue here is Wang Yaotang's Chinese identity. This isn't about him being a third-class citizen; it's about the fact that if Wang Yaotang really causes a major incident overseas, his hometown will have to bear the responsibility.

When something happens in the US, it's considered an individual act, and the country doesn't take any responsibility. But it's different back home. When something happens overseas, back home will really step in!
Of course, if someone begs and pleads to change their citizenship abroad, that's a different story.

Fortunately, Wang Yaotang is now a Hong Kong resident, so he still has a lot of room for maneuver.

After spending a day in Guangzhou, he went to Pengcheng to check on the situation the next day and chatted with Lao Zhao about building a textile factory. He hadn't forgotten his encouragement of Chen Ziqian to invest in the mainland. Before leaving, he went to Wenchong Shipyard to talk to Director Zhao about opening a repair shop overseas.

"I thought you'd forgotten about it!" Director Zhao said irritably. "Our factory already had a meeting about it, and the ministry agreed, but you just disappeared. I was thinking I'd call you to ask if you weren't coming to find me soon."

"I've been busy," Wang Yaotang smiled. "Our business has expanded to Siam now, and the market prospects are excellent."

“I’ve called you Brother Wang, okay? Although a shipyard isn’t a shipyard, it’s not a car repair shop where you can just set up some machines and start working. A shipyard needs at least a dock, and just building a dock takes so long,” Director Zhao said, frowning.

"Hey, that's easy. We'll just buy the existing one and get started. We can talk about expansion later." Wang Yaotang waved his hand with a smile. "But you don't need to worry about that. I'll take care of it."

"Acquire existing ones?" Factory Director Zhao frowned. "I don't mean anything by it, I just mean that these shipyards are already up for sale, which means business is very bad. Will business improve if we take over?"

Wang Yaotang thought for a moment and said, "There are probably too many companies with bad business. First of all, our technology is not comparable to those small and medium-sized ship repair shops. Secondly, we can rely on Wenchong Shipyard's mature channels and production capacity for spare parts procurement. As for customers, that is not a big problem."

Upon hearing this, Director Zhao's expression softened. He was also from a factory, and although state-owned enterprises relied on tasks assigned by higher authorities, it didn't mean they were completely ignorant of these things.

After calming Zhao Changzi down, they had dinner together. Wang Yaotang returned to Hong Kong Island that evening. Before going to Siam, Wang Yaotang had taken a liking to a little girl surnamed Zeng while watching TV with Teresa Teng. Before leaving, he specifically asked his subordinates to keep an eye on her.

A film crew was formed in just a few days, and they immediately selected Margie Tsang, who hosted "The Space Shuttle," as the female lead. Now that the filming is finished, they are holding a wrap party, and as the big boss who funded the project, he is of course going to attend.

Margie Tsang didn't know why the production team chose her so quickly. Having worked at TVB for so long and having a good understanding of the Hong Kong entertainment industry, she was prepared to be scolded by the director and screenwriter, and to be bullied or harassed by the other lead actors on set.

In ancient opera troupes, there was a strict hierarchy, with different levels of treatment for each rank. Being beaten or scolded was commonplace. Back when Chi Mei-yan was filming, she was bullied by Chow Yun-fat and his gang. If she wanted to survive, she had no choice but to endure it.

When Margie Tsang arrived at the film set, she found that it was not like that at all. Everyone was very kind and there were good people everywhere. This made her think that the rumors she had heard before were exaggerated.

Until the company held a wrap party...

Other film crews would have their wrap parties at street food stalls or at most a small gathering at a restaurant, but her own crew held it at the Dynasty Nightclub. Many famous artists from the Hong Kong entertainment industry came, and that's when Margie Tsang realized something was wrong. It was then that the director, Fatty Wong, jumped out and told her that the female lead was handpicked by the super-rich, the Little God of Wealth, the Nightclub King, the Audio-Visual King, and the Stone Mine King, Wang Yaotang.

Seeing the respectful yet envious look in Fatty Wang's eyes, Zeng Huaqian knew exactly what was going on.

Wang Yaotang believes that he is a very loyal man; he likes young, beautiful women with good figures. He can't stay 18 forever, but he can always find someone who is 18.

The crowd dispersed like a tide. Wang Yaotang smiled and walked towards Zeng Huaqian, gently shaking her hand. The 18-year-old girl had truly beautiful skin; perhaps due to nervousness, her palms were slightly sweaty and smooth…

If your whole body is covered in fine beads of sweat...

(As shown in the picture: Chinese woman)

As the saying goes, with new love comes forgetting old love. Wang Yaotang arranged a new house for Hua Nu, and she has been living here for the past few days, enjoying the young and energetic girl, until news came from her hometown that the weapons could be sold!

When Wang Yaotang went to Guangzhou, he always brought the little girl with him.

The armaments and ammunition issued to a mechanized infantry brigade totaled $4300 million, which is nothing to talk about.

The problem lies with the Type 037 corvette.

The above means that it can be sold, but if a production order is placed now, it will take 3 months to deliver, which puts Wang Yaotang in a dilemma.

"I don't need a new one, a used one is fine, just give it to me as soon as possible," Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice.

“Ah Yao, this isn’t like having a large stockpile of firearms and artillery. We don’t have spares for ships. Even the navy itself is short of them. It’s only three months, it’ll be quick,” Chen Huiguo said with a smile.

“They’ll be drawn from the military,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile. Chen Huiguo frowned, thinking that this kid was a bit out of touch. “Xiao Wang, the military needs to train and go on duty. What will happen if they’re drawn from the coastal defense? That’s impossible.”

"Haha, Brother Chen misunderstood me." Wang Yaotang coughed lightly and explained, "I know that with the reform and opening up of our country, the military's expenditures have been greatly reduced, especially the navy, which has encountered many difficulties in equipment upgrades and research and development. I'm offering 1.5 times the price for second-hand equipment. With this money, the navy can completely upgrade its equipment. I also want to support the navy's development."

“Ah…” Chen Huiguo pursed his lips and fell into deep thought.

Selling weapons back home is actually quite honest, with a profit margin of just over 1%. Wang Yaotang's offer of adding another 50% on top of that is indeed very tempting.

After all, it's still a matter of money.

Another point is that when purchasing from shipyards, part of the profit goes to the ministry and part stays in the shipyard. But if the profit is drawn from the navy, the navy will absolutely not give it up!

The military doesn't give shipyards much profit when it buys equipment; they'll use that money to order big ships right away!
The nation is the nation, but disputes can arise between different departments.

Of course, it has nothing to do with Norinco, no matter who gets it. Norinco is responsible for land warfare equipment, and its ships have never been sold domestically... This is the first time ever, since they are all imitations of Russian products. Why wouldn't people buy Russian products?

Of course, some of them were given away as gifts in the past.

When Chen Huiguo made the call, he deliberately left the conversation in half. They were old friends, and he had argued with the guy about the budget many times before. He knew the guy's personality too well. He wanted to see how the guy would change his tune in a moment!

"What? You want to take our warships and sell them? Chen Huiguo, are you fucking crazy? Is national defense more important than money? I think you've sold your brain along with your warships. Let me tell you, it's impossible. Forget about it!" Sun Guodong shouted at the top of his lungs.

Chen Huiguo suppressed a laugh and said calmly, "The other party is a patriotic Hong Kong businessman who has a lot of influence in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia."

"Influence? What's the scope of influence? What's the magnitude of influence? Can you bomb an American warship with influence alone?" Sun Guodong scoffed, then said emphatically, "I think you're getting senile. Our country's rise to power wasn't based on some bullshit influence, but on the blood and sacrifices of our soldiers!"

"He needs it urgently and doesn't want to wait three months until delivery. We'll get you a new one then."

"Bullshit! What if those monkeys come to provoke us again after three months? We'll just shove you through a cannon and shoot you out!"

Feeling that the time was right, Chen Huiguo cleared his throat and said, "We've never sold ships domestically before, so we'll draw this money from your funds..."

"What's wrong with this money?" Sun Guodong's tone suddenly changed.

“They offered three times the price, and it’s still in US dollars,” Chen Huiguo said calmly.

"Sell! Sell it now!" Sun Guodong suddenly realized that since they provided the goods, the money should be theirs to use.

Two ships would be six times the cost; with a little more money, we could directly order the latest Type 051G guided-missile destroyer!
Only six Type 051 destroyers were ever built, simply because of a lack of funds!

With the 051, who needs the 037?!
037: Just a moment ago she was a little baby, and now she's an old hag?

"Ask him if he needs anything else. What can two Type 037s do? Small gunboats don't even have independent combat capabilities. At least you need a frigate as the core, and landing ships, supply ships, submarines, and missile ships to form a complete fleet!" Sun Guodong's voice was filled with excitement. "We have all of these in Hainan. Let's equip him with a small fleet!"

Chen Huiguo's voice turned stern, "Is national defense more important or money? I think you've sold your brains along with your products!"

“Supporting patriotic Hong Kong businessmen, expanding our influence in Southeast Asia, and improving the international environment—modern warfare isn’t just about guns and cannons; influence and the international environment are equally important.” Sun Guodong’s political acumen is undoubtedly up to par to have reached his current position.

"Influence? How big is the scope of influence? How much is the equivalent force? Could influence alone destroy a US warship?"

"Influence has no caliber or equivalent, but it is an invisible wall. As the saying goes, writing is like a knife. Expanding influence can attract more Chinese businessmen to invest and build factories in the country, develop the economy, and accelerate national construction. All of these are contributing to the country's growth, just in different directions."

"Bullshit! What if these monkeys come to provoke us again after three months? We'll just shove you in the mouth of a cannon and shoot you out!" Chen Huiguo retorted verbatim, cursing loudly!

"Old Chen, that's enough, you win this time, kid," Sun Guodong said through gritted teeth.

Even through the phone, Chen Huiguo could hear his teeth grinding together, and he immediately burst into laughter, "Weren't you so tough just now? Please take a deep breath and calm down."

"Sigh, what can we do? It's all because we don't have the money. If we had the money to expand the fleet five or ten times, we'd be marching right into the monkeys' territory. We wouldn't be able to tolerate the monkeys and the US military provoking us from time to time!" Sun Guodong sighed. "You know, every time we go on a mission, we have to hand in our wills. If we really encounter enemy ships causing trouble, we're not prepared to come back alive!"

Chen Huiguo was silent for a moment, then blinked hard twice before smiling and saying, "Okay, if there are no problems on your end, I'll talk to them. As for whether to purchase other warships, that depends on what they think. A fleet isn't something a private individual can afford to maintain."

"Okay, please."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Huiguo shook his head and sighed before walking towards the conference room.

Wang Yaotang was delighted to hear the news brought by Chen Huiguo.

Compared to establishing connections with major shipyards, Wang Yaotang preferred to spend money directly on the military, since it was impossible to buy the latest equipment; instead, it was more convenient to acquire scrap from the military.

It's obvious who they're close to.

After everything was settled, they had a meal together. During the meal, Chen Huiguo hoped that Wang Yaotang could use his influence in various countries to become an arms dealer.

Starting in the 1980s, a large number of Third Front factories were on the verge of bankruptcy. From missile manufacturers to bullet manufacturers, hundreds of military factories across the country, along with thousands of related factories, were eagerly awaiting orders from the north. This involved the jobs of 100,000 people, putting immense pressure on the northern industry!

Chen Huiguo's biggest fear now is being asked about sales by his superiors, and he's afraid that factory workers will come to visit him. His hair is falling out in clumps.

Chinese businessmen are found all over the world, involved in everything from textiles and electronics to agriculture and shipbuilding. They can open up sales channels for foreign trade in almost every other industry, but they are not involved in the arms trade...

That's how it is for people of Chinese descent overseas.

Now that he's finally found someone with such incredible courage, Chen Huiguo is naturally going to make the most of it. Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to help persuade his superiors to sell warships to private individuals?

No, it's Somalia!
The contract was signed by the Somali ambassador to China, and even if the case goes all the way to the United Nations, they won't find anything wrong with it. As for what Somalia will do with the equipment after it's received...

My hometown never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries!

Justified and confident!

Wang Yaotang readily agreed.

In the 80s, the PMC was still in a chaotic gray area, with no relevant international laws or regulations, so people could do whatever they wanted.

Wang Yaotang, the arms dealer, is definitely going to sell. Once he gets the goods, he plans to launch a grand summoning campaign in Hong Kong, calling on all the 'energetic social figures' in Southeast Asia to come to Hong Kong to participate in the 'arms' expo!

Just tell me what you want, and he'll sell you anything as long as you have the money!

There's nothing wrong with arming the Chinese community properly. After all, no matter how many guns there are, they won't be as many as we have. In the end, it will only be the local forces in Southeast Asian countries that suffer, while the Chinese will expand their sphere of influence. It's all within our own borders.

If his business expands later, he'd like to buy transport planes. If he wants goods, no problem, we'll airfreight them to you!
That evening, he returned to Hong Kong in high spirits, only to receive terrible news as soon as he disembarked: Ah Jie had been shot in Bangkok! (End of Chapter)