A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

On the top floor of the Ping An Bank Building, in a spacious office space equipped with modern telegraph equipment and bustling staff, lies the 'Information Center' of Global Shipping.

Global Shipping's 40 cargo ships sailing around the world exchange information via radio waves, which is then transmitted back to its headquarters in Hong Kong for hub operations. Information such as storm locations, potential grounding risks, and port capacity are shared instantly.

Currently, Global Shipping has a total tonnage of 25 tons, valued at around US$1200 million, mainly consisting of second-hand ships.

Upon arriving at the conference room of Global Shipping, a dozen senior executives were already seated, their faces filled with pride and excitement.

No one could have imagined that at the beginning of last year, Global Shipping's total tonnage was only 5.5 tons, but at the beginning of this year it had surged to 25 tons, exceeding the combined total of Jardine Matheson and Swire's fleets.

In terms of business, Global Shipping leases approximately 18 tons of cargo ships to Japan at high prices and on a long-term basis (one year), generating an annual profit of over US$800 million.

The fleet and business expanded so dramatically that it shocked everyone.

"In the new year, in addition to continuing to expand our fleet, there is another very important thing for us at Global Shipping to do—that is to build a global reputation and influence. Being confined to one corner and developing only in the Far East is not what I want to see. So, everyone must be on high alert and work hard to go beyond the Far East and establish a firm foothold in the world."

"Yes, boss"

Next, everyone spoke freely and offered various suggestions.

Deputy General Manager Chen Guangcong began by saying, "Currently, we have six offices in Singapore, London, South Africa, New York, São Paulo, and Hong Kong. I suggest that the other five locations be upgraded to branch offices to complete our global layout."

As a young senior executive in the company, his position has surpassed that of veteran Zhao Tieyi, and this is a trend. Veterans like Zhao Tieyi are now primarily engaged in internal management.

Zhou Ruifu, a senior executive who was just over forty years old, immediately expressed his support: "I agree. Moreover, we are not only upgrading the office to a branch, but also building a new ship. Its significance lies in the fact that it is the first 10,000-ton-class new ship built by a Chinese-funded enterprise, which will play a significant role in the international influence of the Global Group."

In this wave, Worldwide Shipping not only gained reputation but also made a lot of money.

Then the company should build new ships.

Chen Guangcong and Zhou Ruifu are young executives (aged 35-40), who are bolder in their actions and willing to accept greater challenges.

Chen Guangliang then made the final decision, saying, "Okay, upgrade all six of our global branch offices. Also, I'll be going to London after the Spring Festival to inspect the British shipbuilding industry and prepare to build a 10,000-ton cargo ship. We'll also be inspecting oil tankers; we might build a 10,000-ton oil tanker to enter the oil transportation market."

He can't be stingy; after all, he's a top global billionaire with a net worth of over 100 million US dollars.

More importantly, it's impossible for anyone to build a new ship without paying in installments; it's not possible to pay in full.

Everyone was surprised. A tanker weighing more than 10,000 tons would probably cost around four or five million US dollars; while a cargo ship weighing 10,000 tons would cost no more than 2 million US dollars, and even the British could build one for 1.8 million US dollars (the cost varies from country to country, with the United States having the highest cost in the world, 25% higher than the average).

Based on the price per 10,000 tons, the price of an oil tanker is about twice that of a cargo ship!

Zhao Tieyi said, "Why not buy a second-hand oil tanker first? That would be more secure."

Chen Guangliang replied, “By the 1950s, the proportion of oil tankers in merchant ships was gradually increasing, and the same was true in the 1960s and 70s. Eventually, oil tankers may account for half of merchant ships. This is a major trend. So, we want to enter the oil transportation industry. But where does our credibility come from? Why should European and American oil companies trust us? Therefore, we must have the courage to build a brand new oil tanker, but at the same time, we can look for better second-hand oil tankers to prepare for both possibilities.”

Zhao Tieyi said, completely convinced, "The boss has great courage."

These elderly people, although they had followed the Chen Guangliang family for a long time, were unlikely to know the specifics of the Chen family's wealth. Therefore, they were certainly very cautious about building a $500 million oil tanker.

But Chen Guangliang had a different idea. His net worth has already exceeded hundreds of millions of US dollars, but he no longer has much potential for development in Hong Kong, at least in the short term.

Therefore, in the next few years, he must expand overseas, and shipping is the best way.

For example, he seized this opportunity to launch a 18-ton cargo ship into the Japanese shipping market and made a fortune.

Other shipping companies in Hong Kong can only look on with envy.

At the Wharf, a 10,000-ton Liberty ship is docked, with the large Chinese characters "金海号" (Jin Hai Hao) on its hull attracting attention.

The idle workers on the dock couldn't help but chat.

"See that? Those are our Chinese ships!"

"Really? We Chinese actually have such a new and big cargo ship, wow!"

"What kind of ancient history are you talking about? The largest fleet in Hong Kong right now belongs to us Chinese, namely Mr. Chan Kwong Leung's fleet."

"That's impressive, even more so than Jardine Matheson and Swire?"

"It is said that Jardine Matheson and Swire combined only have as many ships as Mr. Chan Kwong Leung's fleet."

"My goodness! Does that mean Mr. Chen Guangliang's fleet has a lot of sailors?"

"Isn't that obvious? Every seaman in Hong Kong knows that Mr. Chan Kwong-leung supports thousands of seamen. It's said that their minimum monthly salary is 100, and they get food and lodging on board."

"The salary is so high, but I still don't want to be a seaman. I'll be bedridden all year round!"

"What's the big deal? After working for five years, you'll have a huge sum of money, get married, and life will be wonderful."

"That makes some sense."

In Hong Kong, dockworkers and seamen are all aware of the influence of Worldwide Shipping, and many of them make a living through Worldwide Shipping.

Behind every thousand seafarers are thousands of families, and a single seafarer can easily support his entire family, as they live and eat on board and earn a minimum net income of 1300 per year (the 13th month salary).

It's not that seafarers are just money-making machines. If the ship docks in Hong Kong, there's an opportunity to go ashore; and they get eighteen days off a year.

Some single sailors inevitably spend those eighteen days in the red-light district, indulging in a good time.

Of course, Worldwide Shipping encourages seafarers to save their wages. After a five-year work period (three years for senior seafarers), they can go ashore to get married and so on. In the second work period, they can have 25 days of vacation per year, which can be split into two vacations, and various benefits will also increase.

Chen Guangliang inspected three key construction sites owned by the Chen family in Hong Kong: the Clearwater Bay Cinema, the Ping An Bank Building at 1 Garden Road, and the Shangri-La Hotel on Des Voeux Road, Central.

On the three major sites, hundreds of workers are toiling, supporting more than 1500 workers.

To be honest, the main reason for starting construction on the Times Cinema and Shangri-La Hotel was that Chen Guangliang considered the large number of 'refugees' in Hong Kong and wanted to provide more jobs to reduce unemployment.

In Hong Kong during that era, the employment rate was extremely low, and many people relied on government and charitable relief. Many families could only barely make ends meet, barely surviving.

People with jobs are fortunate; even a job paying 30 Hong Kong dollars is highly sought after. On the site of the Ping An Bank Building on Garden Road, Chen Guangliang looked at the 15-story building that was about to be topped out, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart.

The total investment in this office building is around HK$1000 million, with a previous budget of US$200 million. Many building materials, such as glass and special steel, still need to be imported from the UK.

"The glass curtain wall of the Moon Arch has been custom-made in London and is expected to arrive in Hong Kong in March. It will be basically completed by the end of the year, at which time it will become the most beautiful and tallest building in Hong Kong!"

Lu Yuantai, standing to the side, said smugly.

He came to Hong Kong and devoted a lot of his energy to this building, so he was naturally very proud.

Chen Guangliang said with satisfaction, "Hong Kong needs such landmark buildings. Nowadays, foreigners always see Hong Kong as a smuggling paradise and a slum, but they don't know that Hong Kong is the cradle of industry, trade, finance and shipping."

The subordinates had become accustomed to their boss's confidence.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, Chen Guangliang, along with his two wives, Yan Kuan and Lu Yuantai from Cheung Kong Property, and fortune teller Wei Qianli, came to Deep Water Bay.

He first used his memories from his previous life to come to the site of No. 79 Deep Water Bay and began to investigate. At that time, No. 79 Deep Water Bay was still an empty lot, and no British people lived there.

"Mr. Wei, could you take a look at the feng shui of this place for me?"

Wei Qianli was a master of feng shui in the Republic of China era. He had interacted with Chen Guangliang before and was invited by Chen Guangliang to perform feng shui on this occasion.

He already understood in his heart that he was most famous for his fortune telling, not for feng shui. So, the fact that someone as smart as Mr. Chen would still come to him could only mean one thing: he wanted to follow Mr. Chen's ideas to determine the feng shui!

If he messes things up today, he can forget about ever establishing a sect in Hong Kong again.

After a careful examination, Wei Qianli said to everyone, “Mr. Chen, ladies, I shall make my own contribution. Based on my understanding of Mr. Chen, you always seem to have foresight. Now that you have chosen this auspicious land, it is clear that you do the same. You know that this land is a good match for your family. Indeed, it is this land that is worthy of the Chen family, not that Mr. Chen needs an auspicious land. Of course, from a feng shui perspective, this place is backed by Shouson Hill and faces Deep Water Bay Beach, where the wind is contained and energy is gathered. It is a rare and auspicious land.”

Everyone smiled.

In fact, everyone who came today understands that inviting Wei Qianli was to have him smooth things over according to the boss's wishes.

Wei Qianli blushed slightly, feeling that he was being a bit of a sycophant. However, in the face of a legendary figure like Chen Guangliang, neither feng shui masters nor fortune tellers dared to embarrass themselves.

why?
Because Chen Guangliang is famous for his "precognition," he has done everything perfectly, whether it was in Shanghai, during the restart, or now in Hong Kong. His family's wealth has not been affected even by war.

Legend has it that the Chen family had six sons and one daughter, each a remarkable individual, making them a typical example of a prosperous and wealthy family.

After Wei Qianli finished speaking, he quickly added, "If Mr. Chen chooses this place as his residence, there are a few things that need to be done to ensure greater prosperity!"

Chen Guangliang humbly replied, "Please speak, Master."

Wei Qianli said, "First, you cannot move here within five years. Mr. Chen's current house on Conduit Road overlooks Central and Victoria Harbour, symbolizing his current fortune. If you want to move, you must wait until your esteemed children join the family business. At that time, Mr. Chen will be in high office with many capable subordinates. Second, you must plant a welcoming pine tree at the new residence to welcome wealth and guests."

Goodness, no wonder he's a master of fortune telling, he's figured out his own ideas very well.

Chen Guangliang said, "Thank you, Master. Master, please look at another piece of land for me."

The group walked towards No. 80 Deep Water Bay with smiles on their faces.

After a short while, Wei Qianli continued, having organized his thoughts, "Although this plot of land is larger than No. 79, it is not as prestigious, but it is still a feng shui treasure. Of course, Deep Water Bay itself is a feng shui treasure."

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "Master, you truly are a master. I plan to buy this plot of land for my second wife. What do you think?"

Wei Qianli glanced at Jiang Meiying and quickly said, "The Second Madam has an air of nobility and a rosy complexion, comparable to the beauty of Yang Guifei in ancient times. However, Mr. Chen is naturally not Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Therefore, although this plot of land is not as good as No. 79 Deep Water Bay, it is still an excellent feng shui treasure, and naturally very good."

Chen Guangliang was very satisfied and felt relieved.

As for 77 Deep Water Bay, although it was located on high ground, Chan Kwong Leung did not take a liking to it because he knew that the land would bring him wealth but not prosperity.

In his previous life, Bao Yugang lived there. Although his four daughters were born in Hong Kong, they didn't seem to be very successful. For example, Wu Guangzheng only had one son and one daughter, and his son was an unmarried "golden bachelor" who might even be gay.

Based on this, Chen Guangliang directly passed on No. 77 Deep Water Bay.

No. 80 Deep Water Bay belonged to the Hui Oi Chow family in the previous life. This family was quite prosperous, which means there was no problem with the feng shui.

As for getting rich, Chen Guangliang doesn't believe in feng shui. If he wants to get rich, no one can stop him.

After determining the locations of the two plots of land, Chan Kwong-leung planned to purchase the land directly from the Hong Kong government, then prepare for large-scale construction, and move in five years later.

With such a long time to build, both villas naturally need to be well-maintained, and the budget cannot be skimped on; they must be built as true luxury villas.

At night, Chen Guangliang took Yan Renmei and Jiang Meiying to a villa in Repulse Bay for a vacation, avoiding their children.

In the bedroom on the third floor, Jiang Meiying wore a cheongsam and black stockings, perfectly embodying the image of a 'royal concubine'. Her voluptuous and fiery figure was simply exquisite.

The Tang Dynasty valued plumpness as beauty, but many later generations have misunderstood this, thinking that the Tang Dynasty actually liked fat women. In reality, the Tang Dynasty preferred voluptuous beauties, who first and foremost had to be beautiful.

"Sister, you're the Empress, so I'm a Noble Consort. Look at that master today, he's obviously judging people by their feng shui! Number 80 is bigger than number 79, but mine is definitely bigger than yours, hehe!"

Yan Renmei maintained her dignified demeanor and said, "Meiying, can't you be a little more reserved? You're almost forty years old!"

She dodged Jiang Meiying's attack!

As for saying that Jiang Meiying is almost forty years old, this is not a rebuttal. After all, Jiang Meiying is 38 years old and she is 36 years old, but their actual physical age is not an exaggeration to say that they are in their mid-twenties.

“What’s with being reserved? If I’m reserved, my husband will say we’re not romantic and that he should be careful he doesn’t bring home another mistress.”

Chen Guangliang quickly said, "Don't start a fight, the two of you are enough for me!"

After saying that, he went to his two wives and admired the charm of their cheongsams. Both women were stunning beauties; otherwise, Chen Guangliang wouldn't have been able to keep quiet for so many years.

"Snapped"

"Snapped"

There should still be some fun involved. (End of Chapter)