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

Satellite phones were installed. No matter how backward Kengtung is, it is still a city with a population of 10. In Shan State, it is already one of the larger cities. There is electricity, but it is all supplied by small diesel generators by wealthy local indigenous leaders.

Luo Xinghan already has them, so supplying satellite phones shouldn't be a problem.

"So, the first phase of the attack went smoothly? And then Luo and Peng's men ran into a snag at the East Camp?" Wang Yaotang asked with amusement.

"Yes, boss."

“Alright, don’t rush into digging the ‘Z’ shaped tunnel.” After thinking for a moment, Wang Yaotang instructed, “Our strategic objective is to complete the clearing work in eastern and northern Shan State. A quiet and stable environment is what we need. This requires first annihilating the enemy’s manpower. So, let’s take advantage of their wishful thinking and set up defenses on key sections of the road leading to the outside world to tie the enemy down. After that, we can attack however we want.”

"Besides, the purpose of war is development. What's the point of development if everything is destroyed? Have them relocate the people near the enemy camp to the north. Remember not to forcibly drive them away, or they'll look like a bunch of bandits," Wang Yaotang said after thinking for a moment.

“No problem, it’s just that they lack sufficient management personnel. The level of education here isn’t that there’s none, but it’s practically nonexistent. In a city of 10 people, apart from the chieftains and their families who teach their children to read, you simply can’t find anyone else who can read,” Chen Yuanchao said with a wry smile.

“I see…” Wang Yaotang pondered for a moment, “I’ll arrange for 50 people to go there. It seems Hong Kong is still a good place. Even scoundrels can read, hahahaha.”

"Tell them there's no rush, I'll go there in a few days."

"Good boss."

After hanging up the call, Wang Yaotang sighed. He actually wanted to go there sooner, but he really didn't have time. Ye Qianwen had given birth to another big, healthy son for him, and Zhong Chuhong and Li Meiren were also pregnant.

Achieving great things is not so easy, so he specifically asked his secretary to calculate the women's ovulation periods and to conceive at the right time.

Not only that, he also specially arranged for people to go to temples in various places to seek out prescriptions and exercise methods for health preservation and strengthening the body. Wang Yaotang did not believe that they did not have some inherited knowledge!
There's no way chanting scriptures could increase sexual function.

Besides the busy work, there are also many things to do at the company. Yaoxing is currently going through the IPO process.

"The IPO went very smoothly," Awei said with a smile. "We even set up a team specifically for public relations, but it was completely useless. There were two guys who tried to cause trouble when the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were having a meeting, but they angered the chairman, who called security and threw them out."

"Oh, is that so? Has my reputation spread that far?" Wang Yaotang laughed.

"Yue!" Ah Wei then said, "The public is not optimistic about Hong Kong's economy, and a large amount of capital is fleeing. The stock market has been dismal in recent months. The Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are almost frantic. They have repeatedly asked the Governor's Office to introduce policies to save the market, but the Governor's Office has been completely indifferent. They are eager for us to go public and are treating us as their lifeline."

"Yaoxing monopolizes the Hong Kong and Macau audio product distribution market, making it a solid blue-chip stock. As Shengyi expands into Southeast Asian countries, the big fish eats the small fish, and their performance will only get better and better. Of course, they are happy."

"The chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission contacted me several times, hoping to introduce you to them. They hope that Giordano, Hongdou, and Yaoming Building Materials will all go public."

"You just made empty promises when I asked you to introduce me, without giving me anything in return?" Wang Yaotang raised an eyebrow.

Ah Wei couldn't help but chuckle, "I've introduced a TVB actress named Wu Junru."

"Pfft!" Wang Yaotang spat out a mouthful of tea, coughed a few times while clutching his chest, and stared at Awei in astonishment. "Wait, Wu Junru? Do you have such a heavy taste?"

"What's wrong?" Awei jumped up and dodged, asking with a speechless expression.

“I…” Wang Yaotang opened his mouth, thought carefully, and realized that she was indeed not bad-looking, and she hadn’t taken the comedic route yet. It was just that the image of Wu Junru in his memory was really hard to pull off. “It’s nothing, I just remembered the wrong person.”

"The young lady is very pretty! She's in the same class as your new girlfriend, Hua Nu. I paid special attention to them in the same class, and there was a girl from their hometown who was also very pretty. She has a strong spirit, completely different from the Hong Kong girls." Ah Wei smacked his lips.

"Who is it?" Wang Yaotang immediately became interested.

"Her name is Liu something-ling." Awei frowned and thought for a moment.

"Liu Jialing!"

"Yes, yes, you already know, why are you asking?"

“I’ve heard the Chinese woman mention it before.”

"Pah, you beast! Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows."

"I have a good appetite!"

Wang Yaotang left all the IPO issues to Awei and went to Guangzhou. Chen Huiguo from Beijing University of Technology told him that the three Y-5 transport aircraft he had ordered had completed production and modification, which was more attractive to him.

"Let me introduce you. This is Han Weimin, General Manager of the Aviation Import and Export Company." Upon meeting, Chen Huiguo introduced him, "They are in charge of the import and export of aviation equipment. I was just passing on a message for you."

"Hello, Mr. Han." Wang Yaotang smiled and extended his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Wang, I've heard that you are a promising young man, and seeing you today confirms it," Han Weimin said politely.

Wang Yaotang had heard these words so many times he was sick of them, and he didn't care at all.

These days, while there are some exports of aviation equipment, they are few and far between. The higher authorities attach great importance to Wang Yaotang's efforts to develop overseas markets for agricultural and rescue applications.

"Mr. Wang, let me introduce our aircraft." Han Weimin walked ahead with a smile, "We have modified it according to your needs for rescue operations, automatically calculating the impact of speed, target, wind speed, and altitude difference on the airdrop, increasing accuracy."

"At the same time, in order to better observe the earth, we have also added functions such as telescopes, low-light night vision observation glasses, and photography, so that the flight is not affected even at night."

"Airdrops all have parachutes, can this be calculated too?" Wang Yaotang asked, not understanding.

Han Weimin was suddenly put in an awkward position by the question. Chen Huiguo, hands on his hips, glared at Wang Yaotang with annoyance, as if to say, "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Hahaha, just kidding. I'm very satisfied. The product is purely for civilian use, no doubt about that. Anyone who thinks there's a problem, let them find their own evidence. I guarantee they won't leave here alive!" Wang Yaotang waved his hand.

"Hehe, can it be mounted on a machine gun?" Wang Yaotang rubbed his hands together.

"Wang Sheng, we are civilian aircraft!" Han Weimin was both amused and exasperated. After meeting him for the first time, he understood why the information described him as having an unconventional personality. How could someone like this become a super-rich man? Is it really that easy to make money abroad?

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. It's an external belly pod, of course, it needs to be operable and observed from inside the cockpit," Wang Yaotang said with a light cough.

Han Weimin looked around, waved for the others to wait there, and gestured, "Wang Sheng, we can go inside the plane for a tour."

"Okay." Wang Yaotang smiled and followed.

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to have a smoke." Chen Huiguo turned and left.

"This is a specially designed observation cabin, this is the belly drop hatch, and there's also a door at the rear of the aircraft for passengers to parachute. Additionally, there are many securing clips inside the cabin to secure cargo," Han Weimin explained. After walking a short distance from the nose of the aircraft, he whispered, "The issue of external pods is more complicated..."

"A concentrated center of gravity in a heavy object will generate tremendous tensile force and wind resistance. Do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean the wind resistance and recoil might tear the fuselage apart?" Wang Yaotang immediately understood. "We need to add a frame and redo the testing?"

Han Weimin smiled and nodded.

"How much will the testing cost? How much will the modification cost? I'll cover it." Wang Yaotang waved his hand. "I personally think the Y-5 has a lot of room for modification and great market development potential."

"Really?" Han Weimin subconsciously looked at the plane at his feet. Back home, they considered this thing outdated and were discussing whether to stop production.

"You can rest assured that foreign countries are more backward than you imagine," Wang Yaotang laughed. "If possible in the future, I would like to introduce the production line and technology of the Y-5 transport aircraft. No one knows more about development than me!"

This thing only costs $10, so I won't feel bad about spending the money.

"Hehe, okay, we'll look into it when we get back." Han Weimin remained noncommittal. They really didn't understand market development, but he did understand airplanes. "Actually, you could also consider the Z-5." "Hmm? Tell me about it." Wang Yaotang immediately became interested. He only had a superficial understanding of things from his hometown.

"The Z-5 helicopter, mass-produced in 1959, has a rotor diameter of 21 meters, a cruising speed of 160-180 km/h, a hovering altitude of 2000 meters, a maximum range of 520 km, a cargo capacity of 1.2 tons (maximum overload up to 1.5 tons), and can carry 11 people." Han Weimin lowered his voice as he spoke, "It has no fixed weapons, but a 12.7 mm machine gun bay can be added to its belly, and 250 kg bombs or rocket launchers can be added to the side pylons respectively."

"It doesn't feel as good as the Y-5," Wang Yaotang said, his brows furrowing slightly.

"How can they be the same? Helicopters can hover, have higher shooting accuracy, and can take off and land vertically. All you need is an open space; you don't need any runway. Their operational capabilities in mountainous areas are incomparable to the Y-5. The application scenarios are different."

Wang Yaotang thought for a moment. If there had been helicopters when they wiped out Luo Xinghan's camp, there would have been no need for airdrops, which would have been much easier. However, due to the limited range, there would still be a need for a nearby base. Considering the time required for the operation, the actual combat radius would be at most 180 kilometers.

Moreover, its continuous flight time is far less than that of the Y-5.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but they are indeed better when used in combination, so that you don't have to worry about airdrops and runway issues in many cases.

"How much?" Wang Yaotang asked with great interest.

"We sell civilian equipment. For weapon racks and such, you can contact Beijing Institute of Technology separately. By the way, the Z-5 helicopter has been out of production for four years, and what we have now are all second-hand aircraft, priced at $180,000," Han Weimin said with a smile.

“No…” Wang Yaotang chuckled, “A used one is more expensive than a brand new Yun-5. What if it’s discontinued and needs repair? If it breaks, are we just going to throw it away?”

"You don't need to worry about maintenance. The machine is out of production because no one is buying it anymore. But damaged parts, like the rotor, can still be produced."

"Let's get two to test the waters," Wang Yaotang agreed after thinking for a moment.

"Okay." Han Weimin agreed with a smile. I don't understand market development, and I don't make much money selling airplanes, but I know how quickly consumable parts on airplanes are worn out.

Airplanes themselves aren't expensive, but the cost of maintaining them is quite high.

After finalizing the deal, the two men stepped out of the plane, and Chen Huiguo could tell from their expressions that the deal was done.

I wonder where this kid has gone off to cause trouble again. But it doesn't matter. Some people won't behave unless you slap them a few times. But it's not convenient to take action back home. It's good that this kid is causing some trouble.

It was still the Xingye ship, carrying a brigade's worth of equipment, more ammunition, and over a thousand tons of cargo for the aircraft. In addition, to avoid wasting transport capacity, a large quantity of daily necessities, such as enamel basins, jars, pots and pans, were also purchased, which were urgently needed in Shan State.

It's too inconvenient to sell goods from Phuket Island every time. Wang Yaotang mentally scanned the map and considered that his future customers would mainly be from Shan State, so Phuket Island was a good place.

The Malays in several southern provinces of Siam are causing a lot of trouble, and the Prime Minister's Office has always been troubled by independence movements. Siam won't care if they make some noise in Phuket; in fact, they might even be happy to see it happen.

Of course, this matter is not urgent. Wang Yaotang came to discuss the issue of establishing a joint venture telecommunications company. He Chao also arrived that evening.

At the hotel, Wang Yaotang specially prepared dinner to entertain them. They first talked about the recent development of Haojiang Telecom. After becoming independent, the company has vigorously expanded its Haojiang business, with the number of fixed installations steadily increasing and the satellite phone business operating smoothly. Wang Yaotang suggested that the company's development focus in the future should be on the pager business.

"We could implement a contract system for mobile phones," Wang Yaotang said, pouring He Chao a full glass of port.

He Chao glanced at him with amusement, "You're not trying to get me drunk under the pretense of talking about work, are you?"

"You guessed it, was it that obvious?" Wang Yaotang chuckled and pulled up his chair, sitting closer to Wang Yaotang.

He Chao chuckled lightly, "What do you mean by 'contract phone'?"

“Talk to the pager manufacturers. We’ll buy the machines in bulk. The pagers have built-in CMOS that directly records our signals, so they can only be used with our telecommunications company.” Wang Yaotang borrowed a bundled sales method from later generations. “The machines will be sold in the company’s business hall at only two-thirds the price of a normal pager. They will be linked to the buyer’s bank account, and a monthly network access fee will be deducted.”

"Hmm." He Chao pursed his lips. This method felt like a variation of loan-based consumption. Considering that bulk purchases could reduce some costs and there were no middlemen involved, two-thirds of the profits might not be lost.

Thinking of this, He Chao looked at Wang Yaotang with a look of surprise and delight, "It is indeed a good way to attract customers to the network. How did you come up with this idea?"

"There are more advantages than that," Wang Yaotang said with a provocative smile. "A top business student like you can't be worse than someone like me who didn't even finish junior high school, can you?"

He Chao, who was extremely competitive, frowned and began to ponder. Wang Yaotang took the opportunity to grab her small, fair hand and play with it. She tried to pull it away a few times but couldn't, and she didn't care anymore.

After a long while, his palms were sweating from playing with the puzzle, He Chao still couldn't figure it out. Somewhat annoyed, he said, "I don't believe you! Tell me! If you can't give me a reason, I'll make you regret it!"

Wang Yaotang laughed and moved closer, putting one hand on her shoulder and ignoring her struggles, saying, "Anti-theft function."

"If you lose it, you can go directly to the service center to report it lost and stop paying for it. If the person who stole the pager wants to continue using it, they will have to go to the service center to recharge and reactivate it, which will expose them immediately. This anti-theft feature alone will attract many people to buy it."

He Chao was somewhat dumbfounded; how could a super-rich heiress like her have ever considered such a thing?

"Secondly, not everyone will always remember that their bank account will be charged monthly. It's only 30 yuan a month. They might forget about it when they get a new one or it gets broken, but the monthly fee won't stop. The longer this goes on, the greater the probability of this happening. Conservatively speaking, they can increase the monthly fee by 2% or more without any cost, which is pure profit."

"You... let go of your groping hands!" He Chao was speechless but unwilling to admit defeat, so he gently elbowed Wang Yaotang.

That's life experience; she wasn't aloof at all.

"Hehe, when we're negotiating the joint venture with the Guangzhou Post and Telecommunications Bureau, we can compromise on other things, but we need to secure the rights to operate the entire Guangdong pager network. This doesn't involve communications security, so it shouldn't be a problem. We can do the same here; the market is huge. These days, only the wealthy can afford it." Wang Yaotang steered the conversation back to tomorrow's negotiations, his groping hands only tightening their grip...

They discussed the specific issues for a long time, and He Chao drank quite a bit of alcohol. Wang Yaotang then invited her upstairs to continue the conversation.

They talked about work, drank, and with no outsiders around, the conversation grew more and more lively, and the closer they got...

"Hiss, don't move! What are you doing!"

"I'll give it to you..."

"you……"

"I didn't ask you to..."

After a night of tossing and turning, Wang Yaotang felt refreshed and invigorated.

The negotiations went relatively smoothly, and a joint venture, 'Guangdian Telecom', was established between Haojiang Telecom and Guangzhou Post and Telecommunications Bureau to operate Guangzhou's fixed-line telephone business.

Haojiang Telecom invested US$20 million, mainly for the purchase of the most advanced digital switching system, holding a 2000% stake. Guangzhou Post and Telecommunications held an 80% stake with its existing fixed network and market share. Haojiang Telecom did not participate in operation and management, but only sent financial personnel to audit the operations and enjoyed profit sharing.

In addition, Haojiang Telecom and Guangzhou Post and Telecommunications Bureau jointly established 'Guanghao Electric Technology' company to operate pager business in Guangdong Province. Haojiang Telecom invested US$1000 million to hold a 60% stake and was responsible for management and operation. Guangzhou Post and Telecommunications contributed its operating license to hold a 20% stake. The labor department invested RMB500 million to hold a 20% stake, only sending financial personnel to audit the business and enjoying profit sharing.

The maintenance and upgrade of fixed-line telephones was a huge financial drain. Wang Yaotang never expected to make a single penny. Everything he did was for the telecommunications operating license and to get a small piece of the action in the future communications market and internet operator sector.

The pager business is the real money-maker; it'll be thriving for at least 15 years!
The money he earns here is not only enough for his future investments in his hometown, but also allows him to leverage the talent pool there to expand his business in Southeast Asia.

When it comes to telecommunications and electronics businesses, there's no need to rely on local talent from Southeast Asian countries.

It's not a matter of quantity, it's that it simply doesn't exist.

While Wang Yaotang was busy setting up and expanding his business in his hometown, the Xingye Express arrived in Pattaya after 9 days.

Zheng Junming, along with 50 people who were going to help with management, waited at the dock, loaded the goods, and hid the ammunition in the cargo. They then set off in a grand procession for Qingsheng on the border.

In just a few days, the Jingdong battlefield... (End of Chapter)