A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

The first Spring Festival of the 50s is approaching.

But it is clear that at this time, the streets and alleys of Hong Kong were filled with 'refugees', and their lives were generally very difficult.

At this time, what the 'refugees' longed for most was to get a job, and some were willing to do it even if the salary was only the lowest of thirty Hong Kong dollars.

A relief center of Oxfam in Sham Shui Po.

They're serving food here. Refugees are holding bowls and lining up with their families. Their expressions are rather numb. Every day, they can only wait for food at various relief centers, and after eating, they find a corner to do nothing.

Chinese people are hardworking and do not want to be 'idle'; it's just that jobs are really hard to find in Hong Kong right now.

"Those who are literate and technically skilled can register here, and then they can start working when a suitable job becomes available!"

Two Oxfam staff members shouted a few words, which immediately attracted a crowd of refugees.

Is it really possible to find a job?
That’s great!

"Name. Where are you from? What did you do before? Are you literate?"

"Gao Lingfeng is from Panyu. He used to work in construction. He is skilled in carpentry and bricklaying, but he is best at carpentry. He knows a few characters, but not many!"

"Yes, they're building a movie theater in Clearwater Bay and they're short-staffed. Go to this address and see if they want you!"

"OK, thanks"

Gao Lingfeng's hope was rekindled, and he quickly turned around to find his wife and children to report the good news.

Upon hearing this, his wife exclaimed happily, "Really? That's wonderful! With your skills, you'll definitely be able to stay."

Looking at his wife and two children, Gao Lingfeng said with concern, "I just don't know if this construction site is convenient for family members to live in."

The wife said resolutely, "If it's inconvenient, I'll just set up a shed nearby. It's better than not earning a penny at all."

Gao Lingfeng suddenly felt more confident and said, "Yes, as long as I can make money, I can endure any hardship."

In fact, by the time Gao Lingfeng found the preparatory office for 'Times Cinema', all his concerns had vanished.

At the construction site of the Times Cinema in Qingshui Bay, there are plenty of places to build shantytowns where families can settle down; Gao Lingfeng is a skilled construction worker who can earn 70 yuan a month, which is enough to support his family; more importantly, his family members can also do some odd jobs and the children can take care of each other.

"Finally settled in."

"Yes, that person in charge is really easy to talk to!"

A feeling of relief washed over the family.

At this time, Chen Guangliang, along with Lu Yuantai and his team from Poly Construction, as well as Zhuang Zhujiu and Lu Hanzhang from Times Film Industry, were inspecting 100 million square feet of land in Clearwater Bay.

These lands are mainly mountainous, so building on them would require moving mountains and cutting rocks, which is a considerable undertaking.

"This project is about to start, and I mainly considered two aspects: First, there is a surge in idle personnel in Hong Kong, and starting this construction site can solve the employment problem for many people; second, with the environment in Hong Kong stabilizing, it is indeed time to consider starting construction on the Times Film City."

Everyone suddenly realized that the boss cared most about the first point, because Era Films had no shortage of film sets; the film sets in North Point, Yuen Ming Hill, and Kowloon Bay were all available.

Zhuang Zhujiu said proudly, "The planning of the Times Film City was handled entirely by Mr. Chen. It is divided into two parts. One part is the film and television base—with six sound stages, four staff dormitory buildings, one administration building, and three staff canteens. It can accommodate 2000 people and will become the 'Hollywood' of Asia. The other part is an 'antique-style building complex,' which can not only be used as a filming location but also open to the public for tourism. Times Film City also has a hotel for tourists and companies to choose from."

When discussing 'Times Film City', everyone admires Chen Guangliang's planning and vision.

In fact, the goal is to create an 'independent city' in Clearwater Bay. The entire development period is eight years. Once completed, the entire Clearwater Bay will become a high-end residential area.

Unfortunately, the Hong Kong government isn't stupid; it won't put those lands in Clearwater Bay up for sale or auction now.

at this time.

The Hong Kong government stipulates that residential buildings cannot exceed five stories.

Fortunately, the 'Times Cinema' in Clearwater Bay covers an area of ​​over 160 acres, which is quite large, so there is no need for the building to exceed five stories.

Of course, since the construction period is eight years (construction and use will proceed simultaneously), a high-rise administration building can still be built later, and the hotel's high-rise building was also built at that time.

Chen Guangliang then said, "Times Cinema is a significant investment for Times Pictures, and it also signifies that our production business will gradually place greater emphasis on quality and commercialization. In recent years, everyone has been pursuing quantity, believing that once a film is made, it can be sold in Southeast Asia to make a fortune. But I know that people experience aesthetic fatigue. After watching too many bad movies, they will eventually give up on Hong Kong films altogether. Therefore, Mr. Zhuang and Manager Lu, you must pay attention to this issue!"

He always intervenes at crucial moments to prevent the company from getting bogged down in trouble.

In recent years, "fast food movies" have made a lot of money in Southeast Asia, but Chen Guangliang knows how long this trend can last; in another five years, no one will buy into the poorly made movies.

Therefore, some things need to be corrected in advance.

"Yes, Mr. Chen."

Everyone accepted and admired the boss for always speaking out at crucial moments.

In fact, Zhuang Zhujiu is in charge of the overall operations of Times Pictures; Lu Hanzhang is in charge of production and distribution; and over the years, the company has also had many excellent management personnel.

Although Chen Guangliang may not hold many meetings or visit the company a year, he has the final say on the overall development of Times Pictures.

During this time, Lu Hanzhang also said to Chen Guangliang, "Boss, the current Hong Kong film industry is a fierce battle between the left and right factions."

During this period, the struggle between left and right was indeed very intense in Hong Kong cinema, and left-wing films were very popular.

Chen Guangliang said, "The script is the foundation of a play. We can publicly advertise and buy scripts at high prices. On the other hand, we need to poach talent for us, poach talent at high prices, and invite Hu Die and Ruan Lingyu to make movies. In short, we, as a rightist, must not only go all the way to the right, but also make commercial films. In the future, we will produce 25 Mandarin and 15 Cantonese films every year, but the core is 'profitable films'. Highbrow and unpopular films are box office poison! Making movies is about making money, it's about doing business. If you want us to make art, I'd rather donate to the Hong Kong Arts Centre and do more charity."

The boss's rhetoric influenced the development of the entire company, and Zhuang Zhujiu, Lu Hanzhang, and others kept this guiding principle firmly in mind.

Lu Hanzhang, a veteran in the industry, had always followed Chen Guangliang's arguments closely. At this moment, he confidently said, "Okay, we will definitely keep the boss's words in mind."

In fact, Zhuang Zhujiu has truly studied film over the years, so when he takes charge of the overall situation, he also has a great deal of influence over the production.

Friday, September 2st.

With one week to go until Chinese New Year's Eve, Hsin Feng Textile not only gave its workers "salary plus year-end bonus", but also "rice and oil".

The entire San Fung Industrial Park in Tsuen Wan was filled with joy.

After the day shift workers finish their shift, they are generally divided into three groups:
Management and technical staff were transported by bus to Kowloon, and then they returned home on their own.
Long-term employees, dual-income families, and some management and technical personnel could walk to the factory's dormitory area, which resembled public housing in later Hong Kong. Finally, for ordinary employees, the factory did not provide accommodation because the conditions were insufficient (seniority and technical skills were key factors).

"Master, would you like me to help you carry it home?"

Several female textile workers gathered around one of the female workers and started joking around.

A skilled textile worker named Amei said, "Go away, I'm waiting for my man, what are you all doing here!"

She was a Shanghai textile worker who was transferred to Hong Kong after the war. Because of her excellent textile skills, she became a mentor to some textile workers. This was an important reason for the development of Hong Kong's textile industry – the arrival of Shanghai-based managers, technicians, and skilled textile workers.

After Amei arrived in Hong Kong, her husband, who was from Shanghai, also came to Hong Kong to work in administration. Although the couple were not in management or technical positions, they were considered the "backbone" of Xinfeng Textile and were therefore assigned dormitory space in the factory area.

"Amei"

"The 'Master's wife' has arrived. Greetings to Master!"

The group of female workers joked around for a while, then left with smiles. Each of them carried 30 kilograms of rice and 1 kilogram of soybean oil, and naturally, two months' salary (one month was a year-end bonus) in their bags. They went home happily.

Their salary is only 50 yuan, but they are already very satisfied. They can not only support themselves, but also give some subsidies to their families. Not to mention, Xinfeng Textile distributes living materials during the three festivals (Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival), and there is also a two-month salary at the end of the year (for those who have been employed for at least six months).

In fact, the current salary in Hong Kong is between HK$30 and HK$100, and many factories generally only pay HK$30 or HK$40, squeezing workers to the maximum extent. The salary offered by Xinfeng Textile is already considered relatively high, mainly due to the benefits such as "three festivals", "year-end red envelopes" and "discounted shopping supplies", which are much higher than those of other factories.

"Master's wife" Abao said with a smile, "Your disciples are really sharp-tongued!"

Ah Mei handed her husband, Ah Bao, a bag of 50 kilograms of rice, and then said, "Then you should work hard and try to become a manager, then they won't dare to talk nonsense. Right now, you and I both earn the same salary, 80 Hong Kong dollars a month, so they don't take you seriously!"

Ah Bao hoisted two sacks of rice, weighing a full 100 pounds, and said in a low voice, "I'll be in management soon."

Amei's eyes widened, and she said in surprise, "Really?"

"It should be pretty close to the truth. Manager Wang has spoken with me."

"Great! Let's go home and celebrate!"

At that time in Hong Kong, a salary of HK$100 could be earned by public officials such as police officers and primary school teachers. Of course, many employees in private companies could earn even more. Everything depended on ability.

Back in the dormitory, Abao and Amei had a two-year-old child, who was being cared for by a neighbor, who was also a family member of an employee. They only needed to give each child a small amount of money each month.

"New Year's goods have been delivered! Hsin Feng Textile is so kind to everyone!"

"That's right. In other factories, one worker can only support one person; but at Xinfeng Textile, one worker can support two people!"

“Take this employee dormitory for example. Renting a room outside costs thirty or forty Hong Kong dollars a month! But workers at Xinfeng Textile can live there for free if they have worked for three years or if both spouses have worked for two years.”

The neighbors were very proud of their superiority and were extremely satisfied with the welfare benefits at Xinfeng Textile, as the contrast made it clear.

"Not only is the house free to live in, but we can also buy cheap rice, oil, meat, clothes and other daily necessities. We are so lucky!"

"That's right. I heard that the supply sales office in the factory area (Global Trading) is another business of Mr. Chen, and it is the largest trading company in Hong Kong; as for the clothes, we produce them in our own factory, and they give us very cheap prices."

Everyone was quite satisfied when talking about these things.

Little did they know that the money they earned would soon circulate back into the hands of the 'Chen family'.

Of course, they are at least living a decent life.

Ah Bao and Ah Mei picked up their child and returned to their home, a single room of 220 square feet. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by the entire floor. This was already considered the standard for dual-income families!
Some single-income families are crammed into a four-person room in a 220-square-foot space. If they want their family members to move in, they have to be assessed based on their length of service and skill level to determine their eligibility, or they have to pay extra.

After indulging in a meat dish, Abao, Amei, and their family of three sat down. As a dual-income family, they could afford to eat meat three or four days a week without any problem, since the meat in the park was cheaper than outside.

“This month, we received 320 yuan. I plan to save 200 yuan. The factory also provided rice and oil, which has reduced my living costs.” Amei calculated her expenses while eating.

At this moment, Abao said with great enthusiasm, "Remember to deposit in Ping An Bank. When I become a manager, my salary will increase, and I can save money every month. Maybe I can even have another child in the next few years."

"You're just dreaming. We'll talk about it when you become an official."

They were just ordinary workers, but fortunately, they worked at Sun Fung Textile, or rather, at Chan's Enterprises, where the benefits and treatment were among the best in Hong Kong's private enterprises.

Xu Shijie, a native of Guangdong, was a middle-level manager at Xinfeng Textile. His main responsibility was to load goods from the factory area, transport them by truck to the warehouse at the dock, and then ship them overseas.

90% of Hsin Feng Textile's products are exported overseas, so the work is very busy every day.

Today, Xu Shijie finished arranging his work and finally didn't have to work overtime, so he could happily go home.

He lives in an apartment, specifically a 'shared housing' developed by Cheung Kong Property Holdings, which is essentially public housing. Each unit is 330 square feet and has a private bathroom, but the kitchen is shared.

Xu Shijie's wife had already cooked the meal. Seeing him return, she happily said, "Honey, did you deliver the New Year's goods today?"

Xu Shijie not only brought back rice and oil, but also meat, which was a great harvest.

"I received it, and there was quite a lot of stuff! In addition, I also received my salary and year-end bonus today, three months' salary, 1500 Hong Kong dollars."

"My goodness, we're rich! The boss is really amazing!"

Holding his two children, Xu Shijie felt a surge of joy. During the War of Resistance against Japan, he joined Xinfeng Textile as a local, starting as an ordinary employee and working his way up to his current middle management position.

What he remembers most vividly is that when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese, Hsin Fung Textiles did not forget them and provided them with some living allowances. So after the war, he immediately rejoined the team and worked for the company.

During dinner, Xu's wife asked curiously, "Honey, do all the senior management and technical staff in your company live on the same floor?"

The building they currently live in has four units per floor, sharing a kitchen. They don't have to pay rent; the property is leased by Xinfeng Textile Company from Changjiang Real Estate and then provided free of charge to the management team.

Xu Shijie said, "Definitely, but not many people have this benefit. You know how tight the housing situation is outside. Even for a place like ours, the transfer fee is 2000 to 3000 yuan, and the rent is fifty or sixty yuan. So, you should be content!"

Xu's wife retorted, "Why can't we live here? We can save 3000 yuan a year now. If your salary increases a bit more, maybe we can buy our own house in the future. You're a middle manager at Xinfeng Textile, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shijie was genuinely tempted and said, "You're right. My salary will definitely increase, and the company treats us very well. Now, we can buy a house in installments, so maybe one day we'll be able to afford it. But then again, in Hong Kong these days, anyone who can afford to buy a house is rich, and anyone who can rent a floor is also rich. Even our living conditions are better than many wealthy business people."

The 330 square feet apartment was divided into two rooms and a bathroom, where the two adults and two children lived. Their living conditions were already quite good. (End of Chapter)