A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

mid-December.

In an office in the Ping An Bank Building in Hong Kong, Miki, a representative of a Japanese transportation company, said in a sincere tone: "Mr. Chen, please rent two more ships to us. We are willing to rent them for a year at the current price, as long as Global Shipping agrees to a payment plan of 80% in Japanese yen and 20% in US dollars."

The Far East is experiencing a shipping shortage, with large quantities of supplies waiting to be transported by ship, and the situation is particularly severe in Japan.

Japanese shipping companies now know that Hong Kong's Worldwide Shipping has a large number of ocean-going vessels and is willing to charter them for long periods and accept payments in yen.

Chen Guangcong said with difficulty, "President Miki, as of now, our Global Shipping has chartered 26 ships to your Japanese clients, with a total tonnage of 15.8 tons. Although we still have 14 ships left, they are basically used on some of our fixed routes."

Miki was immediately disappointed; he had come to Hong Kong hoping to gain something.

So he pleaded again, "We can raise the rent!"

Since June of this year, transportation costs in the Far East have been rising sharply every month, and so far, the costs have reached extremely high levels.

Simply put, the 40-year-old second-hand ship purchased earlier can be fully recouped in a year; if you engage in adventurous routes, you can even recoup your investment in one trip (transporting to the north), or in a few months.

After a moment's thought, Chen Guangcong said, "President Miki needs ships so much, and our shipping company also hopes to build good relations with the Japanese shipping industry. In that case, I'd like to be friends with Miki and be willing to charter two more ships to you. The rental fee doesn't need to be increased, and payment can be made in either Japanese yen or US dollars."

He always remembered what his elder brother said: leasing the ship to Japan would reduce their troubles and allow them to maintain a good long-term relationship with this major client.

What constitutes trouble?
Simply put, shipping companies in Hong Kong are now largely subject to the influence of US and Taiwanese spies, and are easily blacklisted.

Upon hearing this, Miki immediately said happily, "Great, let's be friends. We love making friends. Global Shipping has helped our company this time, and we are willing to cooperate with them for a long time to come."

Afterwards, both sides were overjoyed.

This time, Global Shipping acquired a large number of second-hand ships from the Far East, totaling 21.5 tons before the Korean War; after the Korean War, before anyone could react, several more ships were added, bringing the total tonnage to 25 tons, for a total of 40 ships.

As a result, many of the non-governmental vessels in the Far East are now in the hands of Worldwide Shipping.

As a result, Global Shipping gained some control over market pricing, and this wave of price increases was even more dramatic than in the previous era. While raising prices, it also partnered with Japanese shipping companies through long-term charters. Global Shipping not only reaped huge profits but also secured long-term cooperation with Japanese shipping companies.

Simply kill two birds with one stone.

Based on current freight rates, Global Shipping can recoup more than 80% of its costs in a year by leasing to Japanese shipping companies.

Firstly, the price of second-hand ships worldwide has also increased significantly, coupled with a surge in freight rates in the Far East; as for other reasons, Japanese seamen's salaries are still higher than those in Hong Kong, while Hong Kong seamen's wages are very low.

After listening to his younger brother Chen Guangcong's report, Chen Guangliang said with satisfaction, "You did the right thing! Long-term leasing can reduce a lot of trouble for us."

Chen Guangcong laughed and said, "The Japanese don't yet realize that their long-term reliance on chartering ships will lead to losses in their domestic shipping industry. However, their foreign exchange controls are strict, making it very troublesome to purchase ships; moreover, Japanese seamen's salaries are much higher than those in Hong Kong. These are all disadvantages for their development."

Chen Guangliang said seriously, "Then you underestimate the Japanese government! This time, the United States is strongly supporting Japan, with a large number of merchant ships and warships entering Japanese ports for repairs. After the war ends, Japan will take the opportunity to develop its shipbuilding industry. At that time, as long as the technology of Japan's shipbuilding industry improves, the shipbuilding industry of Europe and the United States will collapse. To support the shipbuilding industry, the Japanese government must win over global shipping companies. So, although their shipping companies seem to rely on chartering, they have developed a much larger shipbuilding industry. Moreover, chartering does not affect the real development of Japan's shipping industry, which is much larger than it is today."

Chen Guangcong was dumbfounded. His elder brother had actually explained the future situation of Japan in a reasonable and well-founded way, leaving no room for rebuttal.

"I see"

Then, Chen Guangcong said, "Brother, we currently have 40 cargo ships with a total tonnage of 25 tons. And now it's peak shipping season, our ships are extremely busy. So what's our next step?"

Now that he has become the eldest brother's right-hand man, or even his first deputy, he naturally wants to know what will happen next.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Guangliang said, "If there's profit, we'll increase the number of cargo ships and continue to expand the fleet. However, we need to have a long-term vision. Next, we need to consider oil tankers, and even in two or three years, we'll need to build new ships!"

Oil tankers are risky; if a leak occurs, the compensation will be substantial.

However, in this era, environmental protection was not taken seriously enough, so the loss was only a large sum of money, not the kind of financial ruin that might occur in later generations.

However, operating oil tankers is inherently riskier, so it requires careful consideration.

"Okay, we'll do more research and preparation later, and learn more about oil tankers."

Chen Guangliang nodded. His younger brother might not be qualified enough to be the top leader, but he was qualified to be his deputy and understood his older brother's thoughts better.

"By the way, with this expansion, we still need to continue to improve the overall quality of our thousands of seafarers. We must pay attention to education, entertainment, and ideological work on board. People say that American seafarers are already complaining about the conditions on Liberty ships, but we Chinese seafarers regard the conditions on Liberty ships as paradise. But we Chinese seafarers are not born with a lowly fate. What we can give should also reflect the culture of a company!"

"Yes, all of our management and staff are working hard for this cause and culture."

Chen Guangcong was clear-headed; the so-called 'education' simply meant giving all seafarers a learning opportunity and a path to promotion. Junior seafarers could have the opportunity to learn to read, learn English, and learn repair skills, gradually becoming intermediate seafarers, or even senior seafarers.

Global Group places great importance on seafarer training. High-performing junior seafarers may even have the opportunity to take paid leave to pursue further education.

As for 'entertainment,' it naturally refers to the provision of sports equipment, books, and other items on ships that circumnavigate the globe. The vast ocean always requires some form of entertainment.

As for 'ideology', the ship's management must be trained to ensure that crew members do not form cliques or engage in bullying during voyages.

These three seemingly simple things are something that the vast majority of shipping business owners will not be able to achieve in the next fifty years.

Chen Guangliang is very important. Although it cannot be completely eliminated, Global Shipping should strive to be the best company in the industry.

Of course, this comes with 'costs and expenses', and I believe no Chinese shipping boss would want to learn from Worldwide Shipping, because everyone values ​​cost the most.

In his previous life, Bao Yugang, the "Shipping King," was described as a "smiling tiger" by the outspoken Zhan Peizhong. The most typical example was when he sued his fellow townsman, the "Construction Builder" Lu Yunpei, and ended up losing the case. Lu Yunpei then hung a rubbing of the winning lawsuit directly on the wall, which shows how oppressive Bao Yugang was.

It can be said that Bao Yugang's rise to become a shipping magnate was inevitably accompanied by "exploitation" throughout his life.

As for Chen Guangliang's shipping business, he prefers to take advantage of the shipping cycle to make greater profits and to develop rapidly with his strong financial resources, rather than relying on exploitation.

The overall quality of the crew members at Global Shipping far surpasses that of local Chinese-owned enterprises in Hong Kong, and their compensation is naturally the best.

Of course, the seafarers' treatment is only the best among domestic companies. After all, global competitiveness must also be taken into account. Global Shipping cannot offer seafarers better treatment than Japanese seafarers; it can only provide the best treatment in the domestic market.

The career advancement opportunities for seafarers are something that junior seafarers should be concerned about.

At night, at the Wing Cheong Heavy Industries pier in Tseung Kwan O, a small motorboat is being loaded with cargo.

Huo Yingdong personally spoke with the head of Rongchang Heavy Industry at the dock. "Manager Qi, do you have any more rubber?"

As luck would have it, a while ago, someone from Rongchang Heavy Industry contacted him, saying that there were iron drums, gasoline, steel coils, rubber and other materials for sale at the Tseung Kwan O Wharf, and that he could come at night to buy and transport them if needed.

This delighted Fok Ying-tung, as these supplies were sure to make money; he only needed to transport them to Macau or the mainland to earn a profit.

Manager Qi smiled and said, "Mr. Huo, I'm only responsible for selling you the goods. We'll let you know when we're no longer selling to you. We don't care where you sell the goods; we just collect the money and sell the goods."

Huo Yingdong suddenly realized that the other party didn't want to get involved, and quickly said, "Of course, I was just being nosy!"

At this time, rubber was a much-needed resource.

They would buy rubber from Singapore, transport it through the Strait of Malacca to Hong Kong, and then use fishing boats to transship it to Macau at night, earning three times the profit on each voyage.

Of course, due to US surveillance in Singapore, it's actually difficult to transport rubber to Hong Kong. Because of these controls, rubber prices there haven't risen.

If you have ships and the ability to smuggle rubber from Singapore, you can make a fortune.

By the time rubber is shipped from Singapore to Hong Kong, its price has more than doubled.

On the contrary, transporting goods from Hong Kong to Macau can earn a profit of 20% to 30%, which is already quite good, considering that the route involves several round trips per night, and there are many people who can do it.

To defend against potential threats at sea, the Huo fleet developed a unique "three-ship joint defense" system. The core of this system lies in the distinct roles of the three vessels: the reconnaissance ship is equipped with high-powered telescopes for early warning, the cargo ship is reinforced with protective steel plates for safety, and the escort ship is staffed with specialized security personnel. This clearly defined defense mechanism enables the entire fleet to effectively respond to various dangerous situations that may be encountered at sea.

Huo Yingdong was extremely grateful to have such a good source of goods!

"Hey, a boat's coming!"

Manager Qi smiled and said, "It's alright, we're in the same industry, and we're also in the transportation business."

Before long, Yang Xiaohu was seen personally boarding a boat and arriving at the dock.

He has already resold the goods in Macau, settled his elder brother's 2000 million payment, and even made a profit of 200 million Hong Kong dollars.

It may seem like he doesn't earn much, but he's actually an "agent" and earns a 16% commission on the profits, which is already quite good.

In fact, the cost price of the supplies in Macau was 8 million, and the current market price is at least 24 million; however, following his elder brother's instructions, he gave the other party a 10% discount, cutting off some change, and the other party was immediately very grateful to him.

Yang Xiaohu understood that he was now making contact with the other party on behalf of his elder brother, but he couldn't reveal his brother's existence.

"Manager Qi, who is this?"

Mr. Fok Ying-tung

My name is Yang Xiaohu.

Mr. Yang

After exchanging brief greetings, everyone went about their own business, without forming alliances or engaging in much communication. After all, this was a matter of individual ability, and having too many people would be counterproductive.

Moreover, Huo Yingdong could tell that Yang Xiaohu was more familiar with this Manager Qi, and he vaguely felt that Yang Xiaohu, this Shanghai native, was not simple!
Victoria Harbour Plastics Factory.

Shanghai native Sheng Songsheng approached his boss, Li Jiacheng, and excitedly said, "Boss, Huatai Toys Factory, owned by Mr. Chen Guangliang, has issued a notice to the entire plastics industry. Any factory facing difficulties with raw materials can contact Huatai for assistance. Plastic granules, which have already risen to HK$3 for 450 grams on the market, can be supplied by Huatai at a 20% discount in limited quantities."

It turns out that since the embargo, Hong Kong's supply of plastic pellets has been cut off by the United States. Coupled with hoarding by some vendors, the price of plastic pellets has doubled from the original HK$1.5 for 450 grams.

Given this calculation, Hong Kong is also experiencing a shortage of plastic raw materials.

Li Jiacheng said happily, "Really, this is great! Mr. Chen Guangliang truly deserves to be called a leader among Chinese businessmen. We must contact him immediately."

He knew in his heart that if Huatai Toy Factory dared to release such information, it must have a lot of plastic granules in its hands, which were probably purchased in advance.

Now it's sold for HK$2.4 per 450 grams, which not only makes money but also wins people's hearts, and everyone will be grateful.

He also knew about Huatai Toy Factory. The factory was not large and mainly produced plastic toys, targeting the mid-to-high-end market.

Victoria Harbour Plastics Factory mainly produces a range of products such as plastic buckets, plastic basins, and plastic stools. These products are low-end and face fierce competition in the industry.

Unfortunately, I heard that the plastic machinery at Huatai Plastics Factory was a newly developed product after World War II, belonging to the category of new machinery; while the machinery at Victoria Harbour Plastics Factory was produced during World War II and belonged to products that the United States had phased out.

"Um"

Li Jiacheng then said, "You're also from Shanghai, come with me to make the contact."

"no problem"

The two quickly arrived at Huatai Plastics Factory. The general manager there was very polite to everyone, and the first thing they did was register.

The number of plastic machinery, workers, monthly product sales volume, and approximate monthly raw material requirements are all meticulously recorded to prevent unscrupulous merchants from taking advantage of the situation.

The process went smoothly, and more than a dozen plastic factories across Hong Kong registered. Some even hoped to use this as an opportunity to establish the Hong Kong Plastics Industry Association.

After receiving the plastic pellets, Li Jiacheng sincerely admired the style of the Chen Guangliang family in Hong Kong.

Sheng Songsheng, who was standing to the side, had great admiration for Chen Guangliang. He said, "The plastics industry is just a small industry. I heard that Hong Kong's largest textile factory, Sun Fung Textile, also provides cheap cotton to some textile companies that are in difficulty."

Li Jiacheng nodded and said, "So, Mr. Chen, you must have made preparations in advance?"

Sheng Songsheng laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Mr. Chen has always been very farsighted."

"Great"

With access to cheaper plastic pellets, Victoria Harbour Plastics faced some difficulties. Li Jiacheng's admiration for Chen Guangliang deepened, and he was eager to learn more about this senior businessman's past.

As a Shanghainese, Sheng Songsheng had heard a lot about this before, making him naturally the best disseminator. (End of Chapter)