A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Spring has arrived.

Des Voeux Road Central, Central.

The first floor of the Ping An Bank Building houses the bank's lobby, which is spacious and luxuriously decorated.

In this era, ordinary Hong Kong citizens and small and medium-sized businesses still perceive large banks as unattainable and difficult to access. As a large Chinese-owned bank in Hong Kong, Ping An Bank inevitably evokes that same impression.

A simply dressed couple nervously entered the lobby of Ping An Bank's headquarters, looking somewhat uneasy.

But soon, a male employee in a suit stepped forward and asked politely, "Hello, what kind of business do you two need help with?"

The man mustered his courage and said, "We want to open an account and deposit 100 yuan."

At that time, Hong Kong still had many banks with high requirements for opening accounts and did not pay much attention to the funds of retail investors.

The staff member smiled and said, "Okay, please come with me, I'll help you fill out the forms."

And so, this ordinary couple successfully opened an account at Ping An Bank and even enjoyed VIP treatment. Such privileges would be impossible to find at other banks in Hong Kong.

As the general manager of Ping An Bank, Chen Guangliang had established such a service standard as early as after the war: whenever customers stepped into Ping An Bank, they would receive a warm welcome and assistance from the staff, such as filling out forms and being introduced to the appropriate counter.

The bank's attentive service, imbued with the warmth and hospitality of Chinese culture, has won over an increasing number of customers. The service capabilities of its employees are a key performance indicator, and any complaints or disputes will result in penalties such as deductions from bonuses.

In fact, many banks don't lack the ability to provide services like Ping An Bank's; they simply don't want to. After the war, people weren't short of deposits, and they were particularly indifferent to individual depositors' funds because these banks lacked good investment channels.

Simply attracting deposits requires finding investment opportunities for them; otherwise, how can banks pay interest? Therefore, some banks not only don't pay interest on small deposits, but also charge storage fees.

Ping An Bank continues to offer good interest rates on small deposits, thus gradually building a more familiar reputation among citizens.

Ping An Bank's deposits have gradually surpassed those of Bank of East Asia, making it the largest Chinese-owned bank in Hong Kong, exceeding HK$6000 million. Therefore, Ping An Bank is also seeking investment opportunities.

In the post-war period, Hong Kong's banking sector, uncertain about Hong Kong's future, was not very active in lending to Hong Kong's businesses. Ping An Bank, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to provide substantial loans to Hong Kong's industries and businesses after the war.

Ping An Bank has even begun providing loan support to small and medium-sized factory owners in Hong Kong to help the development of Hong Kong's industry.

Small factory owners in industries such as textiles, clothing, plastics, toys, and hardware all have the opportunity to obtain loans from Ping An Bank. Moreover, Ping An Bank treats all borrowers equally, regardless of whether they are from Shanghai or Guangdong.

On this day, Chen Guangliang, along with Yan Kuan, Lu Yuantai, Ye Ximing, Zhang Shounian, and other real estate and banking executives, arrived at the site of No. 1 Garden Road, Central.

Last year, after spending a huge sum of money to buy this land, he had been thinking about building a "reputation building" for Ping An Bank.

Having worked in banking for so many years, Chen Guangliang knows that a bank's headquarters building must be attractive in order to establish a good reputation and reassure depositors to put their money in with confidence.

The Ping An Bank Building on Des Voeux Road Central is certainly quite beautiful, but since there is an opportunity to build an even more beautiful building, we should naturally not let the opportunity pass us by.

"My idea is to build the new headquarters of Ping An Bank into a 15-story building, which would be the tallest building in Hong Kong; then, the exterior would have a square shape, but the windows would be fully enclosed glass windows with the 'moon arch' design, a Chinese element, so the interior would use an advanced fresh air system."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuantai immediately felt a headache coming on; his boss's request was quite demanding. Currently, buildings in the Far East are mostly designed with open windows; even in the United States, fully enclosed glass windows are not very common.

He said, "A round 'moon arch' window must be completely sealed. What material should the frame be made of?"

Chen Guangliang said professionally, "Aluminum alloy, a new type of material."

In fact, the United States is far ahead in these technologies. The United States had already created the Wallley Building with a glass curtain wall in 1952; as for fresh air systems, they appeared as early as 1935.

Lu Yuantai nodded and said, "Then we need to go to the United States to find a partner company to complete this building together."

To be honest, he naturally didn't think he could design and build what the boss required.

"Okay, as long as you can fulfill my requirements, you can take care of the rest yourself."

"Ok"

Subsequently, Chen Guangliang addressed the group of bank executives, saying, "Ping An Bank needs more than just a good reputation; it also needs to focus on service. Banks are inherently service industries; don't think of yourselves as something so lofty and superior."

Ye Ximing and the others nodded in agreement. They knew that this man was a banker who was already on par with Chen Guangfu and others.

Li Hongsheng then stated, “As the war situation on the mainland evolves and Hong Kong’s industry develops, Ping An Bank places great emphasis on industrial loans and also provides loan services to small and medium-sized factory owners. Recently, we have required our sales staff to conduct thorough investigations of each factory and become absolutely familiar with them. In addition, we also provide factory leasing services and industry planning services to some factory owners.”

Nanny-level care!

Chen Guangliang said with satisfaction, "Yes, our support for small and medium-sized enterprises is to establish a comprehensive system before large banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered lower their standards. But at the same time, we ourselves must have a thorough understanding of Hong Kong's industries."

In his knowledge, industries such as textiles, clothing, plastics, toys, hardware, and trade are all ideal for lending.

After chatting for a while, everyone took a car and headed towards the office building.

Chen Guangliang now places high hopes on Ping An Bank, hoping it will become the leader among Chinese-owned banks and be able to rival HSBC and Standard Chartered's positions in Hong Kong; although it is unlikely to obtain the right to issue banknotes, as long as its deposit and loan business is done well, it can still have an impact.

Of course, Chen Guangliang was also wary of a "bank run in Hong Kong," so he placed his personal funds and the funds of his companies in Ping An Bank, forming a consortium model.

Even though Ping An Bank has a very high loan-to-deposit ratio, it is not afraid of a bank run.

Just one day later, Chen Guangliang brought another group of people to Tiu Keng Leng in Tseung Kwan O.

Standing on a piece of wasteland, Chen Guangliang said, "This is 120 acres of land, which I have bought entirely. I plan to build a shipbreaking yard and a smelting plant here. I invited everyone here today because I hope that you can start from scratch and build a heavy industrial park here."

Those present were all management and smelting talents recruited by Chen Guangliang from Shanghai and Hong Kong.

When he went to Shanghai to recruit talent, firstly, he had his own identity as a guarantee, and many people would agree when they heard that he was the one inviting them, which was his influence; secondly, he had a set of arguments, which, although suspected of 'spreading rumors,' would undoubtedly scare away some hesitant people and make them agree immediately.

In short, he wanted to invest in heavy industry in Hong Kong as soon as possible.

Ship dismantling: The steel removed from ships can be melted down to produce new steel.

Smelting: Transporting copper ore from overseas, smelting it into copper, and then supplying it to zipper factories; steelmaking, the main business of smelters, provides steel for Hong Kong construction; aluminum alloys, this is a new industry, if successful, it can not only supply zipper factories, but also provide building materials for Hong Kong's construction industry - aluminum alloy doors and windows.

Sun Dehe, the person in charge of smelting, asked, "Does Hong Kong need to consume so much steel?"

This is a big shot. He studied in Germany and worked as a metallurgical engineer there. When Chen Guangliang recruited him, he was a professor at Tongji University and the director of Wuxi Machinery Factory.

Chan Kwong-leung laughed and said, "Currently, the highest residential buildings in Hong Kong are indeed only five stories high, but that doesn't mean Hong Kong will always be like this. As the population from the mainland increases, Hong Kong will eventually allow the construction of American-style high-rise residential buildings, and Hong Kong's population will also increase significantly. In short, we should have confidence in Hong Kong and not forget how I invited everyone to come to Hong Kong."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they could not refute it.

Besides the lure of high salaries, people are filled with uncertainty about the future of China, so they come to Hong Kong to work for the Chen Guangliang family.

After leading everyone on a tour, the 'Rongchang Heavy Industry Base' is also ready to officially start construction.

"Kwun Tong, Hop Wo Zippers," Wang Feichao excitedly told Chen Guangliang. "Boss, aluminum alloy zippers are now in mass production and being exported to Japan. Look..."

Of the 34 automatic rice sorting machines, half are already producing aluminum alloy zippers, while the other half continue to produce copper zippers. However, it is certain that the prospects for copper zippers are far less promising than those for aluminum alloy zippers.

Looking at the booming zipper business, Chen Guangliang said in a good mood, "Has John already sent over the samples?"

John was appointed to specifically supply military supplies to the U.S. military stationed in Japan, and zippers were one of the supplies.

His production needs are very large, but Hehe Zippers can only supply zippers to the US military stationed in Japan through him.

Wang Fei nodded and said, "He saw the samples and placed an order right away. Most of these aluminum alloy zippers are what he needs, and the rest are for continuing to disrupt the Japanese handmade zipper industry and completely crush it."

The cost of Hehe Zippers is far lower than that of Japanese handmade zippers, but Hehe Zippers did not make a fortune in Japan at first. It only maintained a reasonable profit, which was still considered a huge profit.

It's very simple; the plan is to first cripple Japan's handmade zipper industry.

After touring the production line, Chen Guangliang asked, "What problems does Hehe Zipper currently face?"

One manager then added, "It's a foreign exchange issue. We export a large number of zippers to Japan, and although we have the help of Global Trade, we've also started accepting yen."

Upon hearing this, Chen Guangliang said, "The Japanese yen is also good! Currently, the yen is pegged to the US dollar, with 1 US dollar equal to 360 yen, making the currency relatively stable."

Not only is it stable, but it can also appreciate in value; in the later stages, 1 US dollar will only be equal to about 270 Japanese yen.

But Chen Guangliang suddenly remembered that he should invest in real estate in Tokyo and acquire land before the Japanese could react.

He then said, "Manager Wang, get ready. We're organizing a trip to Japan soon. We want to find a machinery manufacturer there to partner with, producing automatic zipper machines, automatic rice washing machines, and even building a factory in Japan. After all, to maintain our competitive advantage, simply importing automatic rice dispensing machines isn't enough; we need to expand our advantages."

"Ok"

To put it bluntly, they import automatic rice-dispensing machines from the United States. Once Japanese zipper manufacturers realize this, they will also seek loans to purchase the machines; even Japanese banks, seeing the dire situation of the Japanese zipper industry, will provide support.

What advantages will Hehe Zipper still have at that time?
Fortunately, Hop Ho Zipper has been actively recruiting talent and has conducted research on automatic rice rinsing machines and automatic locking machines. If they can find a machinery factory in Japan to cooperate with, the other party will be extremely grateful, and Hop Ho Zipper will also be able to further develop its entire industry.

In addition, Chen Guangliang also plans to send people to Tokyo, Japan to inspect Ginza, where the Chen family intends to invest in some commercial properties.

As Hehe Zippers disrupted the Japanese zipper market, Tadao Yoshida's YKK Zippers went bankrupt due to a lack of orders.

He originally wanted to buy an automatic rice dispensing machine, but because he couldn't raise the funds and no one was willing to partner with him, it was out of the question.

Looking at the 'aluminum alloy zipper' in his hand, Tadao Yoshida couldn't help but feel a deep sadness welling up inside him.

He had already developed aluminum alloy zippers during World War II, but they were only produced by hand. Now, Hong Kong's Hopewell Zippers has mastered the production of aluminum alloy zippers using automatic rice-laying machines, and the price is only one-twentieth of that of Japanese handmade copper zippers.

The huge price difference caused thousands of zipper workers in Japan to lose their jobs, causing a major shock to the industry.

"Damn it! All they did was import automatic rice-dispensing machines, and they crippled Japan's zipper industry. How did Japan fall to such a state? Is there really no way to turn things around?"

Yoshida Tadao thought defiantly.

He understood that Hong Kong's zipper industry wasn't particularly developed; it was merely a case of first utilizing automatic rice-dispensing machines.

If he could afford even one, even just an automatic rice dispenser, he would be confident he could win.

In reality, at this time, Tadao Yoshida's total net worth was only a little over $1000, and he had recently suffered significant losses due to his workers.

"I can't give up like this!"

Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan.

The elderly Liu Hongsheng, accompanied by his two sons, invited Chen Guangliang to visit their family's new factory site.

In his previous life, Liu Hongsheng had hesitated and remained wary of the other party. However, in this life, with Chen Guangliang as his friend and role model, he has made up his mind to develop his career in Hong Kong.

In the spring of 1949, with Liu Hongsheng's tacit approval and instigation, Cheng Nianpeng, general manager of Zhanghua Woolen Mill, and his assistant manager Hua Erkang, embezzled approximately 500 million US dollars worth of foreign exchange and shipped out raw materials and finished products. Zhonghua Wharf, Huadong Coal Mine, and Shanghai Cement Plant also embezzled 200 million US dollars.

However, Liu Hongsheng was later moved by his actions and returned to his original home.

In this life, Liu Hongsheng directly absconded with this wealth (it wasn't just his; there were many shareholders, including the Nationalist government), and planned to open a factory in Tsuen Wan.

“Mr. Chen, I brought my two sons to Hong Kong this time, and I plan to settle down here. I have health problems and can’t take any more trouble,” Liu Hongsheng said sadly.

He dedicated his entire life to the country's industrial development, but unexpectedly became a coward at the last moment.

Chen Guangliang placed his hand on Liu Hongsheng's shoulder and said, "Brother, we must be decisive in our actions, otherwise we will only cause trouble. We are not just doing things overseas; Hong Kong is ultimately part of China, and one day it will return to the motherland, at which time we will also return to the motherland."

Both are from Ningbo and have been friends for many years, so their relationship is quite extraordinary.

Of course, if Liu Hongsheng hadn't approached him first, Chen Guangliang wouldn't have advised him to make a choice.

Liu Hongsheng nodded and asked, "Then do you think that if the other side attacks Guangdong Province, they will take the opportunity to subjugate Hong Kong?"

Chen Guangliang firmly stated, "No, the United States has already formulated the Marshall Plan. This plan is aimed at the Soviet Union. If the new China wants to break away from Soviet control and maintain communication with the West, Hong Kong is a window."

Liu Hongsheng exclaimed, "I've struggled with this for countless nights, but you've made it all clear in just a few words. Alright, from now on, our Liu family will be rooted in Hong Kong. The wool mill is our first investment, and of course, it's time to sever ties with the Nationalist government and build our own independent factory!"

He was also very disgusted with the Nationalist government, after all, many of the shares of Zhanghua Woolen Mill were seized by the Nationalist government (also due to its own financial difficulties).

"Opening a wool textile factory in Hong Kong may not be without prospects, but it will certainly be tough in the early stages. As for raw materials, there will be trade with the mainland later on, so there is still potential."

Liu Hongsheng felt much more at ease. He admired Chen Guangliang, as his friend had never lost money in business.

He then asked proactively, "What about shipping and trade?"

One business wasn't enough for Liu Hongsheng; he also wanted to build up more wealth for his sons.

Chen Guangliang said, "The shipping and trade industry is possible. For example, we can bypass the Nationalist government and do business with the liberated areas. If the United States imposes a blockade in the future, we can trade with our motherland even more. Although we are in Hong Kong, we still care about the country."

"right"

Afterwards, Liu Hongsheng told his two sons to learn from "Uncle Chen" and they naturally believed him.

In fact, Chen Guangliang is not even as old as others; they are about the same age.

Liu Hongsheng moved his entire family to Hong Kong, but he actually has another son in another team, which may cause some trouble in the future.

Meanwhile, another friend of Chen Guangliang, Fang Jiaobo, recently met with him secretly to inquire about some information. Chen Guangliang served as a reminder to those who proactively sought him out. (End of Chapter)